We Are Monster

We Are Monster is a Japanese Doujinshi Tabletop Roleplaying Game combining Body Horror, Cosmic Horror, Psychological Horror, and Action in a narrative driven, rules-lite system with both traditional and non-traditional approaches to its game system. There is also a Solo RPG variant called I Am Monsters. The odd usage of the plural forms should give you some hint as to how the game works.

Also, and this is important, the game does not exist.

I first discovered this game and its Solo counterpart a few months ago while doing research for my October blogging plans. I found the idea of the game instantly compelling and its rules weird enough to download. It was also free, as some of my favorite Japanese TRPGs are (such as Meteor City, Space Opera Heroes, and Tokyo Ghost Research). 

I started translating it and planned to run a playtest of it [hopefully] before running a big Halloween one-shot. Alas, I got sidetracked by Space Opera Heroes as well as a few other things and only got back to it recently. When I did, I found I had my English re-write translation but couldn't locate my original download of the Japanese original. 

When I went back to the website I downloaded it from...it was gone. The item I'd saved was no longer there. All the products on the publisher's page had been removed, as had the page itself . It had truly become a vaporware, a phantom game. 

The premise is pretty straightforward; set in the present day, cosmic horror parasites have come to Earth and must merge with living Human beings to stay alive/exist in our reality. You (the Player Character) have been infected and are slowly transforming into a hideous, eldritch monstrosity! You are also losing control of yourself as the parasite takes over.

At the same time, you can periodically wrestle control away from the parasite and it is giving you bizarre superhuman abilities. Maybe, with enough presence of mind, determination, and willpower, you can find a way to rid yourself of this creature or die trying.

Works in this genre include the Japanese Anime/Manga series Parasyte, Tokyo Ghoul, and in some ways Chainsaw Man and Kaiju No.8. Venom from Marvel Comics also fits the model.

Most of the parasites want to eat people. Some want to eat other parasites. A few want to nest and reproduce. Which kind is yours?

Now here's where things get weird (that's right, it's all been relatively normal up til now).

In We Are Monster, each player plays multiple characters. Specifically, they play the key character types of Host and Parasite. One player is a Host and another player is that Host's Parasite. This means that there are times when the two players are vying for control of a single Player Character, as Host and Parasite merge to form a single Entity. If the Human Host gains control, the Entity is called a Being. If the Parasite gains control the Entity becomes a Monster! 

The game recommends allowing each player to run an additional character as well, one that facilitates the type of story your group is trying to tell. For example, if you are dealing with mysterious murders in a small towm you might want:

Alex As: A Host, Nick's Parasite, Town Doctor

Mark As: A Host, Alex's Parasite, The Local Sheriff 

Nick As: A Host, Mark's Parasite, Town Radio Station DJ

Basically you're trying to flesh-out (heheheh) the cast of a Horror Anime or Video Game that gives everyone different goals and interesting potential choices. Some of the characters' objectives will be aligned. Some, will not. It's not exactly PvP but it isn't necessarily not PvP, you feel me? 

The game can also be played in various different forms of execution (wink!). It might be a Psychological Horror Thriller or an Over-the-Top Anime Action series. Maybe there only a few Parasites in an out of the way town in the hills where only a handful of people have any idea what's going on. Instead, you PCs could be working for a government agency trying to stop an invasion of such creatures happening all over the country or even the world! 

Curiously, two TRPGs with similar premises have recently popped up on the crowdfundiing front: Biophage on Kickstarter and Sophont on Backerlit. Biophage in particular gives me strong We Are Monster vibes. 

I am very intrigued by this premise and hope to run a short three-parter as part of another project I'm working on. I will likely support the Biophage Kickstarter if only to have an additional source of ideas. In both cases I will be sure to keep you all updated and let you know how it goes.

The Creepiness Continues...

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