Monster of the Week and many games like it don’t use traditional turns or “initiative.” Instead, the players and the Game Master, or “Keeper”, decide what makes the most sense based on what’s happening in the fiction of the game. For example, if one character opens a door to find a werewolf behind it, it’s their turn! If another character hears their friend screaming like they’re being attacked by a werewolf, it’s probably her turn next! Players work together to share the spotlight and make sure everyone gets to participate, but the rules don’t enforce a strict “turn order.” In general though, the Keeper (and the monsters they control) get to react to the players’ actions—especially when they roll badly!

How do turns work in Monster of the Week?

Any character in Monster of the Week can use magic—or at least they can try! Every character has the “Weird” stat, which they add to rolls when they attempt to use magic. “Use Magic” is a move that every character has access to, but some characters may be more skilled at it than others! If you want to be good at using magic in Monster of the Week, you might choose a playbook like the Expert, the Initiate, the Monstrous, the Spell-slinger, or the Spooky.

In Monster of the Week, who can use magic?

Typically a one-shot will consist of a self-contained adventure that will take place all in one session, which will usually take a few hours to complete. They are meant to be completed in one sitting, and will usually have a very focused plot or objective. A campaign on the other hand, is a longer adventure that takes place over multiple sessions. Short campaigns may be only 2-3 sessions, while longer ones may be played over months, or even years!

What is the difference between a one-shot and a campaign?

Obviously this will vary from table to table, but here are some good places to start! If your game is played in person, most likely you will want to get a set of dice, something to write with, and paper to take notes. 
If your game is hosted online instead, you will probably need to make accounts on a few sites for things like character sheets, access to the Virtual Tabletop for maps and tokens, and sites like Discord or Zoom for video/voice calls during the session. 
You won't always need to have the rulebooks to start, but if you want to read through them to make sure you know all the rules, this might also be a good option.

What supplies do I need to play Monster of the Week?

Monster of the Week can cover an impressive range of topics and styles, including violence, horror, romance, and many many more! However, if there are specific themes or content that you’re uncomfortable with, let your group and GM know before the game, and have an open conversation about these topics. 
Any group worth playing with should be respectful and understanding of your concerns and the game can be adjusted so everyone is having fun. Many tables also use “Safety Tools” which help ensure that these conversations are handled easily, and everyone has a voice at the table.

What if I'm not comfortable with certain themes or content in Monster of the Week?

Monster of the Week uses the rule system pioneered by Apocalypse World, in which players roll two six-sided dice and add a bonus from one of their character stats; a 10 or better is a full success, a 7-9 is a partial success or success with consequences, and a 6 or lower is a “miss”, not necessarily a failure, but a bad outcome for the character. Characters trigger these rolls when they take specific actions in the game, like Investigate a Mystery or Kick Some Ass. You’ll use these “moves” to solve mysteries and hunt monsters in a world not unlike our own!

How to play Monster of the Week

An excellent first PbtA system for folks interested in the style of play! Not as robust or elegant as some of the best PbtA games but easy to teach to newcomers with a clearly understandable format and plenty of versatility in play.

Monster of the Week is a phenomenal system, able to create highly cinematic and heart-pounding action and gut-wrenching emotional turmoil, and everything in between. From comedic games akin to Scooby Doo to sanity-shredding Cthulhu mythos, this system can handle with equal ease. Don't let the modern urban fantasy vibe of the system fool you either. My first MotW campaign was set in Ancient Egypt and ran for 2 years, and all of that with almost no changes to the rules.

Monster of the Week (MotW) runs on the narrative-focused rules-light Powered By The Apocalypse (PBTA) framework which streamlines mechanics down to simple 'moves' which are more akin to camera takes in a tv show than skill checks in DND. MotW is very easy to learn and teach, and perfect for introducing total newcomers to TTRPG (speaking from personal experience).

Monster of the Week is shockingly versatile of a system, and can handle a wide variety of settings, prehistoric fantasy, cyberpunk, sword and planets, space sci-fi, space opera, steampunk, atompunk, etc, and additionally the system is equally capable with oneshots and 5 year long campaigns. All the game really needs at its core are some sort of mysteries and player characters who are interested in solving it. So give it a try and enjoy the freedom of "play to find out what happens".

Anistuffs

Monster of the Week is my Favorite TTRPG. Cool mysteries, ticking clocks, and dangerous monsters make this rules light game a perfect one session game. But it’s at its best when you solve multiple mysteries in a row with the same group. Helping each other resolve long term goal is super fun. 

Powered by the Apocalypse is a 2d6 system that relies on consequences to drive the action. But the narrative style allows you to find clever ways to get out of those consequences. 

Play like Buffy. Play like Scooby Doo. Play like Supernatural. Super fun!

Adam

Monster of the Week is an impressive game that fully captures the feel of horror movie and horror TV serials. The focus is on exploration and survival, where the plucky heroes muster whatever skills and items they can gather to fight against the impossible evils of a monster-filled world.

The game can handle all sorts of stories. Cryptid hunting? Sure! Nightmare on 13 Halloween Street? Great! Biffy the Zombie Slayer final/magic/chosen girl awesomeness? It’s got you! Mystical-supernatural brotherly monster hunting? YUP! Scrappy Dee mystery solving gang antics? Fun and supported!

Honestly, this is an easy to learn, versatile, fast-paced game I can’t recommend enough.

Connor S - The Healer DM

This is a great system for those diving into TTRPGs from more of a Monster of the Week TV show aspect rather than maybe high fantasy. The more minimal take on rules and flexibility for both players and the narrator offer an easier acceptance into the TTRPG sphere rather than more crunchy games like D&D or Pathfinder. I had some players start to shy away from D&D because of the complexity but when they played this, they flourished. Highly recommend you give it a go not just for the freedom it offers but for the load reduction it does for players.

Lucas Duff

Monster of the Week is an amazing game. It's quick to pick up and play as the system is very simple. It's really narrative focused so you don't need to learn or remember as you start playing. If you're into modern fantasy and shows like Buffy or Supernatural this is a great way to have that experience for yourself. Be a modern wizard, an MIB agent, or a monster in disguise. Fight ghosts and monsters and be a big damn here while you do it.

Mike d20

Monster of the Week (MotW) is a tabletop roleplaying game, or TTRPG, about a group of monster hunters taking on the terrors that prey on humanity. Inspired by media like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Supernatural, players create characters based on archetypes. They might take on the Chosen, a hero with a grand destiny; the Divine, an angel or holy warrior here to protect humanity; the Monstrous, fighting against their own evil nature; the Professional “man-in-black”; and many more! One player, the Keeper or Game Master (GM), takes on the role of the world those characters inhabit. They’ll create the mysteries the hunters must investigate, the environments they’ll explore, and the victims, meddling authorities, and of course, monsters they’ll face.