History VideoGame / Monstrum

''Monstrum'' is a combination of the {{Roguelike}} and SurvivalHorror genres developed by Team Junkfish. It was released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] on May 20th 2015, with the versions for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne following on November 30th 2019. In addition, content themed on this game was released as DLC for ''VideoGame/DarkDeception: Monsters & Mortals'' in December of 2020.

* GameBreakingBugs: The game has [[ObviousBeta several]], but one particularly common bug is that the longer you play the game, [[Sizeshifter the taller your character becomes]]. The time it takes varies, but by the one-hour mark, you become so tall you clip through the ship, making it virtually impossible to traverse.

''Monstrum'' is a combination of the {{Roguelike}} and SurvivalHorror genres developed by Team Junkfish. It was released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] on May 20th, 2015, with the versions for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne following on November 30th, 2019. In addition, content themed on this game was released as DLC for ''VideoGame/DarkDeception: Monsters & Mortals'' in December of 2020.

An AsymmetricMultiplayer sequel, ''Monstrum 2'', was announced in early 2019 and scheduled for release in late 2020. Taking place on an isolated sea fortress, 1 player takes the role of the monster while the other players take the role of prisoners attempting to escape.

* GreaterScopeVillain: Whatever mysterious organization whose agents are responsible for conducting the initial genetic experiments in the first game, and who presumably runs the prison in the second game where prisoners are tested against unleashed monsters.

* ObviousBeta: Despite being released from Early Access, [[http://themonstrum.wikia.com/wiki/Glitches/Bugs Monstrum still suffers from several bugs, some of which can be gamebreaking]].

* SuperPersistentPredator: the three monsters that antagonize the player ([[WordOfGod though only the Hunter has any interest in eating you]]). Fortunately, only one of them will appear in each playthrough. Unfortunately, you won't know which until you encounter them. They are:

* AWinnerIsYou: Beating the game results in a cutscene of you escaping in whatever vehicle you used and narrowly fleeing whatever monster was present at the time.

* FeaturelessProtagonist: Being in first person, the player never sees their face. Even in the old game over screens depicting the protagonist, their face is obscured, though they are a light-skinned male. The death screens were removed in the latest version of the game, possibly for this reason.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: One of the collectible notes indicates that the ship fell to the monster in 1977, although whether or not that's the year the game takes place isn't established (given that the protagonist's notes state he showed up on the ship without explanation). Certainly, you don't find any items or technology that weren't around in 1977, other than the standard video-game automated security cameras (which we don't even have ''now'').

* MascotVillain: The Brute is the only monster to be appear in both games.

* BreakoutVillain: The Brute is the only monster returning in the sequel.

''Monstrum'' is a combination of the {{Roguelike}} and SurvivalHorror genres developed by Team Junkfish. It was released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] on May 20th, 2015, with the versions for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne following on November 30th, 2019. In addition, content themed on this game was released as DLC for ''VideoGame/DarkDeception: Monsters & Mortals'' in December of 2020.

It places the player on a derelict, procedurally generated cargo ship, where they must attempt to find a way off. Seems straightforward, except all the escape routes are missing components to make them work, and standing between you and those components there are certain... ''creatures''.

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: You have no way to kill the monster. You can only avoid it, lure it away, or stun it via item like the Fire Extinguisher.

** The Brute is the most-straightforward monster, being an AlmightyIdiot of pure physicality -- unlike the Hunter and the Fiend, who use more-complex tactics and abilities. However, said physicality still makes it a terrifying {{Juggernaut}}.
** The Life Raft ending. While the Helicopter and Submarine ones involve cooler vehicles -- the Life Raft one takes the least steps to complete, and doesn't automatically make you play a final ProtectionMission against the monster.

* CreepilyLongArms: The Hunter has very long arms combined with CreepyLongFingers that are better described as ''talons'' that means it doesn't have to be physically strong to kill you.
* CutsceneIncompetence: [[spoiler: All the endings involve the monster ambushing you... and failing utterly.]]

** [[HumanoidAbomination The Fiend]]: A wraith-like demon that levitates instead of walking (it has no feet). It has supernatural powers like shorting out lights whenever he is near and possessing telekinetic abilities. It "plays on more malevolent tropes like serial killers and the supernatural". Oh, and its inclusion to the game was veiled in the patch notes, catching most players by surprise when they encountered it for the first time.

* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: The new notes added in the 2016 patch reveal that the Brute and the Fiend were created in medical experiments where two injured "test subjects" were injected with a regenerative serum derived from deep-sea jellyfish. The test subjects may or may not have been the two injured crew members that are mentioned repeatedly in the notes and audio logs.]]

* CutsceneIncompetence: [[spoiler: All the endings involving the monster ambushing you... and failing utterly.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c7b1a1a83d27166395face2dd7e81f5b.jpg]]

* FinalDeath: Like many roguelikes. Once caught, that file and world is lost forever, and the player is forced to start over fresh. The game goes so far as to lack any kind of save feature completely, so your only options are to win or die.

''Monstrum'' is a combination of the {{Roguelike}} and SurvivalHorror genres developed by Team Junkfish. It was released for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] on May 20th, 2015, with the versions for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/XboxOne following on November 30th, 2019.

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: You have no way to kill the monster; you can only avoid it, lure it away, or stun it via item like the Fire Extinguisher.

** The Brute is the most-straightforward monster, being an AlmightyIdiot of pure physicality -- in contrast to the Hunter and the Fiend, who use more-complex tactics and abilities. However, said physicality is enough to still make it a terrifying {{Juggernaut}}.
** The Life Raft ending. While the Helicopter and Submarine ones involve cooler vehicles, the Life Raft one takes the least steps to complete and doesn't automatically make you play a final ProtectionMission against the monster.

* ComplexityAddiction: Unlike the [[NoNonsenseNemesis Brute]] and the [[CombatPragmatist Hunter]], the Fiend prefers to [[JustToyingWithThem toy with you]] before going for the kill. Somewhat justified, though; its MindOverMatter is a StoryBreakerPower, and if it wasn't playing around it could easily snap the player's neck without them being able to do anything about it.

* AWinnerIsYou: Beating the game results in a cutscene of you escaping in whatever vehicle you used and narrowly fleeing whatever monster was present at the time.
* AirVentPassageway: One of the monsters, called the Hunter by the developers, primarily uses the vents to get around and ambush the player.

* ComplexityAddiction: Unlike the [[NoNonsenseNemesis Brute]] and the [[CombatPragmatist Hunter]], the Fiend prefers to [[JustToyingWithThem toy with you]] before going for the kill. Somewhat justified, though; its MindOverMatter is a StoryBreakerPower.

* CutsceneIncompetence: [[spoiler: All the endings involving the monster ambushing you...and failing utterly.]]

* MagmaMan: The Brute, combined with RockMonster.

An asymmetrical multiplayer sequel, ''Monstrum 2'', was announced in early 2019 and scheduled for release in late 2020. Taking place on an isolated sea fortress, 1 player takes the role of the monster while the other players take the role of prisoners attempting to escape.

** The Brute is the most-straightforward monster, being an AlmightyIdiot of pure physicality - in contrast to the Hunter and the Fiend, who use more-complex tactics and abilities. However, said physicality is enough to still make it a terrifying {{Juggernaut}}.

** Red - the Brute's RedEyesTakeWarning gaze.
** Green - the Hunter's BizarreAlienBiology sacs.
** Blue - the Fiend's ColorCodedWizardry aura.

* ComplexityAddiction: Unlike the NoNonsenseNemesis Brute and the CombatPragmatist Hunter, the Fiend prefers to [[JustToyingWithThem toy with you]] before going for the kill. Somewhat justified, though - its MindOverMatter is a StoryBreakerPower.

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: You have no way to kill the monster; you can only avoid it, lure it away, or stun it with something like the Fire Extinguisher.

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: You have no way to harm whichever monster you end up with; you can only evade or lure it elsewhere. [[note]]Granted, you can at least stun it via item like the fire-extinguisher, but that still only buys you a couple of seconds at best.[[/note]]

** The Brute is the most-straightforward monster, being an AlmightyIdiot of pure physicality (instead of some complex stalker with unusual abilities, like the Hunter and the Fiend). That said, the "pure physicality" in question is still enough to make it a terrifying {{Juggernaut}} and NoNonsenseNemesis.
** The Life Raft ending. While the Helicopter and Submarine ones involve cooler vehicles, the Life Raft one both requires the least steps to complete and doesn't automatically make you play a final ProtectionMission against the monster.

** Red: The Brute's RedEyesTakeWarning gaze.
** Green: The Hunter's BizarreAlienBiology sacs.
** Blue: The Fiend's ColorCodedWizardry aura.
* ComplexityAddiction: Unlike the NoNonsenseNemesis Brute and the CombatPragmatist Hunter, the Fiend is the most inclined to [[JustToyingWithThem toy around with you]] before going for the kill. Arguably justified, though: Its long-range MindOverMatter is something of a StoryBreakerPower.

''Monstrum'' is a combination of the {{Roguelike}} and SurvivalHorror genres developed by Team Junkfish.

----

* [[YouWakeUpInARoom You Wake Up on a Ship]]: The protagonist seems shocked to be on the ship, and doesn't know how they got there. That said, it's not the driving question, seeing as your main priority is to get ''off'' the ship to,escape the abominations chasing you.
** It's left vague as to whether the protagonist is one of the two crewmen who are mentioned in the notes as having been unconscious during the initial attack due to earlier injuries, and has amnesia, or if they're an entirely random stranger who has been transported to the ship by unknown means. Neither possibility is ruled out by the game.

It places the player on a derelict, procedurally generated cargo ship, where they must attempt to find a way off. Seemingly easy... except all the escape routes are missing components to make them work, and standing between you and those components, there are certain... ''creatures''.

Gameplay is based around object-driven puzzle solving and escaping the monsters lurking within the ship, who will be alerted to your presence by any noise you make. The items you need are somewhere in the ship and may not even be present, forcing players to change their plans. The player and the creature are the only living things on the vessel, and that monster is hunting you from the moment the game starts. Each new file pits the player against one of three different monsters, but you'll never know which one you're facing until it finds you...

* AdvancingBossOfDoom: You have no way to actually harm whichever monster you end up with; you can only evade or lure it elsewhere. [[note]]Granted, you can at least stun it via item like the fire-extinguisher, but that still only buys you a couple of seconds at best.[[/note]]

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: One of the collectible notes indicates that the ship fell to the monster in 1977, although whether or not that's the year the game takes place isn't established (given that the protagonist's notes state he simply showed up on the ship without explanation). Certainly, you don't find any items or technology that weren't around in 1977, other than the standard video-game automated security cameras (which we don't even have ''now'').

** The Brute is the most-straightforward monster, being an AlmightyIdiot of pure physicality (instead of some complex stalker with fancy abilities, like the Hunter and the Fiend). That being said, the "pure physicality" in question is still enough to make it a terrifying {{Juggernaut}} and NoNonsenseNemesis.
** The Life Raft ending. While the Helicopter and Submarine ones definitely involve cooler vehicles, the Life Raft one both requires the least steps to complete and doesn't automatically make you play a final ProtectionMission against the monster.

* CreepilyLongArms: The Hunter has very long arms combined with CreepyLongFingers that would be better described as ''talons'' that mean it doesn't have to be physically strong to kill you dead.
* CutsceneIncompetence: [[spoiler:All the endings involving the monster ambushing you...and failing utterly.]]
* ExcusePlot: You wake up on a ship with no memory of how you got there. There's a monster on the ship with you. Escape. That's the entire extent of the game's plot. Scattered notes found around the ship provide some background flavor (such as establishing the year the ship fell to the monster as 1977, and possibly hinting that the monsters are wildlife or humans that were injected with an experimental healing serum derived from deep sea jellyfish), but don't actually present an over-arcing story.
* FeaturelessProtagonist: Being in first person, the player never sees their own face. Even in the game over screens depicting the protagonist, their face is obscured, though they are obviously a light-skinned male. The death screens were removed in the latest version of the game, possibly for this reason.

** The Hunter is the thief. It's physically weak and the player can outrun it, but it can [[StealthExpert skitter through vents and ambush the player]] and is described as a [[ItCanThink cunning]] predator.
** The Fiend is the mage. It's the slowest monster in the game with relatively low strength, but is supposedly ''more [[ItCanThink intelligent]] than the player themselves''. It also has a wide array of [[MindOverMatter telekinetic abilities]] and is meant to invoke a feeling of powerlessness.
* FinalDeath: Like many roguelikes. Once caught, that file and world is lost forever and the player is forced to start over fresh. The game goes so far as to completely lack any kind of save feature, so your only options are to win or die.

* HellIsThatNoise: The various roars of the monsters. Also the alarms that let said monsters know where you are.

* LuckBasedMission: The difficulty of a play-through depends heavily on the random spawning of the escape vehicle components, as well as which of the 3 monsters you are assigned to face (the Hunter is generally agreed to be somewhat easier than the Brute or Fiend).
* TheManyDeathsOfYou: Getting caught by one of the monsters treats you to a first-person death animation of them horribly killing you in some way relative to the manner in which they found you, such as the Hunter pouncing on you and devouring your head or the Fiend violently twisting your limbs with its power.

* TheMole: The collectible notes reveal that at least two or more passengers or crew on board the ship were part of a secret operation to gather mysterious "specimens" from the Pacific Rim region. It is implied that the specimens may have hatched or matured and become the monsters, though the notes are extremely vague and this may or may not be the case. New notes added in the 2016 patch seem to suggest the specimens were deep sea jellyfish, which were used to create a serum that unwittingly creates the monsters.
* MonstrousHumanoid: Bordering on HumanoidAbomination for one monster in particular...

* ObviousBeta: Despite being released from Early Access, [[http://themonstrum.wikia.com/wiki/Glitches/Bugs Monstrum still suffers from a number of bugs, some of which can be gamebreaking]].
* OffScreenTeleportation: The Hunter is another brand of horror because the player can't actually get away from the damn thing. It is using [[AirVentPassageway all the vents]] in the ship to keep up with you, and outright crawls up the side of the ship if you make too much noise on the deck. It'll even pop out of the various eggs it lays, and those can be anywhere onboard.

* SuperPersistentPredator: the three monsters that antagonise the player ([[WordOfGod though only the Hunter actually has any interest in eating you]]). Fortunately, only one of them will appear in each playthrough... Unfortunately, you won't know which until you encounter them. They are:

** [[StealthExpert The Hunter]]: An almost skeletal entity with elongated, clawed fingers. It travels around through the ship's vents, and can scale up walls. It is much quieter than the Brute, and the poor lighting of the ship means that by the time you see it, it may already be too late.

* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler:The new notes added in the 2016 patch reveal that the Brute and the Fiend were created in medical experiments where two injured "test subjects" were injected with a regenerative serum derived from deep sea jellyfish. The test subjects may or may not have been the two injured crew members that are mentioned repeatedly in the notes and audio logs.]]
* [[YouWakeUpInARoom You Wake Up on a Ship]]: The protagonist seems shocked to be on the ship, and doesn't know how they got there. That said, it's not really the driving question, seeing as your main priority is to get ''off'' the ship to, y'know, escape the abominations chasing you.
** It's left vague as to whether the protagonist is one of the 2 crewmen who are mentioned in the notes as having been unconscious during the initial attack due to earlier injuries, and has amnesia, or if they're an entirely random stranger who has been transported to the ship by unknown means. Neither possibility is ruled out by the game.