Free Game Friday: Vs. Monsters

Welcome to the return of our weekly feature, Free Game Friday! First, a recap of the installments so far:

Ars Magica 4th Edition, the RPG with what is known to have the single best magic system ever; fantasy for those willing to do their research.
Risus: The Anything RPG, the six-page game with a minute of setup and a plethora of fan-made expansions.
1000 Blank White Cards, the card game where you not only draw your cards, you draw your cards.
Metal Öpera, the most BRUTAL RPG ever made.
The Pokéthulhu Adventure game--Pokémon and Lovecraftian Horrors, together at last!
Ronin Story, the "samurai blood opera" where your character has a terrible secret.
Wandering Monsters High School, where you play a D&D-esque monster who has to contend with the horrors of the schooling system!
And finally, JAGS Wonderland, one of my three favourite RPGs ever, in which Wonderland is a predatory, nightmarish reality that's infecting our own.

This week, I'd like to showcase vs. Monsters, an excellent free RPG by the Origins Award-nominated game designer Philip Reed. The game takes place in 19th Century America, in the time of Edgar Allen Poe, and you play a monster hunter. Sold!

More details? You need a deck of cards, it's inspired by Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton and Mike Mignola (mostly the latter, Hellboy especially), it's meant for most experienced roleplayers, and it was written in 24 hours (much like Ronin Story and Wandering Monsters High School). I find the combination of theme and setting delicious--now get out there and conquer those scarecrows, mummies, gremlins, Cthuloid terrors and what have you!