Werewolf: The Apocalypse—The Book of Hungry Names

First, some long background not relevant to the gameplay itself much:

(Spoiler - click to show)At one time, I had played every Choice of Games game up until 2021, but after that I couldn't quite afford to play all of them. So I've only picked up a few over the years.

Having loved Vampire: the Masquerade -- Night Road, I was excited to try this game, even at its relatively high price point, since I knew how high quality this author was.

It said the game was mature and I had to verify age, which I hadn't had to do for most other Choice of Games games. I foolishly ignored that, and when I started playing I realized it was filled with constant strong profanity, which I don't really enjoy in games. I tried refunding it, but I had played too long, so I just hid it from my library.

Eventually, I wondered if I could access the code somehow and put a filter on.I messed around with it but couldn't figure it out. Then I realized I could transfer steam purchases to my choice of games account and play online, so I did that and got the filter in. It was really funny to see stuff like 'ruthless motherfreaker' but it got the job done.

The game itself is based on the ruleset for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. In that setting, you have a list of around 9 core attributes (like strength and intelligence) and a lot of skills like computers, aim, etc. You get opportunities to raise these skills at the end of each chapter. During chapters, you frequently get challenges where you test one attribute + one skill. For instance, strength+combat is frequently tested.

In addition, you have five or so damage markers and a maximum of five rage points. You also have five possible werewolf forms (ranging from fully human to hybrids to fully wolf). Shifting forms heals wounds and gives advantages in fights similar to passing challenges, but it costs 1 rage for each step of shifting you do. Running out of rage makes you lose the ability to transform. You can increase rage by getting hurt or at the end of each chapter. If your rage goes over 5, you go into a frenzy and kill all around you.

Like Night Road, the game has a few central chapters that occur in a fixed order interspersed with 'mission' chapters that can be done in any order. Throughout the game, you can meet allies and romantic partners (I romanced Nin, a wolf turned human who plays rock music) and gain gifts from spirits that let you do supernatural feats. You can also join a tribe which incurs advantages and prohibitions.

It can be difficult to keep track of all of this. I was completely overwhelmed with reading all the spirits texts'. It helped me a lot to realize that I can just try every one of them and most of them are out of reach (you need specific requirements for them). There's also DLC that unlocks new gifts, good for people who want to replay in a different style.

I was averse to the first chapter; I found it relentlessly negative to the point of parody, like an 'unfavored child' Gacha Life story, a genre of youtube video where a child is hated by their family until they're rescued by someone dreamy. In this game, you're poor, unhappy, on the run, the world is dying, everyone around you hates you and cusses you out and even attacks you and blames you for everything. It's a completely miserable life.

Fortunately, you quickly escape and move onto a land recovering from a devastating attack years ago that killed almost all werewolves and drove spirits into hiding. Your goal is to restore the nature around you while dealing with white supremacists, evil corporations, and a horrifying werewolf whose spirit ally can create convincing false worlds and who yearns for an end to all existence.

The characters are pretty diverse, from a posh British shadow lord werewolf to a bloodthirsty hacker werewolf to a non-binary reporter who gets into harms way a little too often.

Overall, the game is very weighty and complex. I was on vacation when I played, and would play a chapter at a time before doing a chore or task. It took me 4 days to beat it, putting it at around 15-20 hours (could be much faster if read without interruption and with clear focus). I played with storyteller mode on, which told me which choices tested which attributes.

I felt like Night Road had slightly better and more coherent content, while Book of Hungry Names had more total good content. I like these big, complex RPGs and find it difficult to finish IRL campaigns, so this is my shot to see what it would be like playing these settings.

I can recommend this to others for sure, with my caveat about profanity. There is also pervasive and constant violence but it doesn't dwell on it or seek to make it excruciating. You're werewolves; you kill things. It's what you do.