"What *other* game should be on the ideal RPG shelf?" – Monte Cook's Call of Cthulhu essay from Hobby Games: The 100 Best

[MOB]

"Since the early days of the hobby, if you were to ask virtually any roleplayer what *other* game should be on the ideal RPG shelf... it's likely the answer would be Call of Cthulhu." 

So says GAMA Hall of Fame designer Monte Cook in his chapter for Hobby Games: The 100 Best (2007, edited by James Lowder). 

With the kind permission of the author, you can read the essay in full on our website:
https://www.chaosium.com/100-best-games-call-of-cthulhu

[Sam E.]

I think D&D should be the "other" game ...  😄

[Qizilbashwoman]

24 minutes ago, TheophilusCarter said:

I think D&D should be the "other" game ...  😄

as a person who started gaming in 1981 with AD&D: absolutely not, the two games should be CoC/RQG and FATE.

[Sam E.]

3 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

as a person who started gaming in 1981 with AD&D: absolutely not, the two games should be CoC/RQG and FATE.

As long as CoC is first!  😄 

[TrippyHippy]

On 1/29/2023 at 5:33 AM, Qizilbashwoman said:

as a person who started gaming in 1981 with AD&D: absolutely not, the two games should be CoC/RQG and FATE.

Um. That is three!

I think that one thing Call of Cthulhu did, which Runequest didn’t quite do, is establish a new genre (horror) for gaming in. Runequest suggested a new way of running fantasy, but it was always going up against a behemoth in D&D. Call of Cthulhu, however, was completely different genre direction for gaming - hence it is complimentary in the minds of many D&D fans. To me, that is the mindset of people who talk about the *other* game.

Note that Monte Cook was a D&D designer at the time he wrote that essay and in fact had a bit of an angle having been a co-writer of the D20 version of Call of Cthulhu released about then too. 

In my personal view, about 95% of my gaming experience could be handled by just three games: D&D, Traveller and Call of Cthulhu......although I still have time for games like Runequest, Pendragon, Paranoia, Warhammer, Cyberpunk, Vampire, etc. The only blank fill, for me, is in the Superheroes genre where I should like Champions but it is just too crunchy for me. 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by TrippyHippy

[Qizilbashwoman]

9 hours ago, TrippyHippy said:

Um. That is three!

I didn't want to say "d100 system of Chaosium games"; if D&D is everything from OSR to 5e, we can count CoC and RQ as one game

[TrippyHippy]

On 1/31/2023 at 2:25 AM, Qizilbashwoman said:

I didn't want to say "d100 system of Chaosium games"; if D&D is everything from OSR to 5e, we can count CoC and RQ as one game

That’s a big ‘if’, but to me there is a distinction to be made between multiple editions of the same game and different games with related systems. 

[DreadDomain]

On 1/30/2023 at 2:12 PM, TrippyHippy said:

In my personal view, about 95% of my gaming experience could be handled by just three games: D&D, Traveller and Call of Cthulhu.

As someone who had 99% of gaming covered by GURPS and HERO for 2 decades, I can relate. Nowadays, if I had to stick with only 3 games, I would struggle a bit more.

On 1/30/2023 at 11:25 PM, Qizilbashwoman said:

I didn't want to say "d100 system of Chaosium games"; if D&D is everything from OSR to 5e, we can count CoC and RQ as one game

Now this definition would make my life easier in choosing only three lines! My bookshelves are broadly composed of 25% GURPS, 25% HERO, 25% BRP related games and 25% everything else...

On 1/30/2023 at 2:12 PM, TrippyHippy said:

I think that one thing Call of Cthulhu did, which Runequest didn’t quite do, is establish a new genre (horror) for gaming in. Runequest suggested a new way of running fantasy, but it was always going up against a behemoth in D&D. Call of Cthulhu, however, was completely different genre direction for gaming - hence it is complimentary in the minds of many D&D fans. To me, that is the mindset of people who talk about the *other* game.

Yea, I agree with that angle. From the early days, RuneQuest (with Stormbringer, Call of Cthulhu and Pendragon) was the game of choice for my gaming group of the time and RQ3 is that game that cemented me to the hobby. But from a wider perspective, I can totally see CoC being that other game. Add to it its longevity and popularity up to these days and it has to be CoC.