Modern-day RPGs: horror and supernatural investigation
For some people, roleplaying games are synonymous with fantastic, exotic worlds, imagined from the ground up and described in minute detail in lengthy encyclopedic sourcebooks. To them, the idea of playing a campaign set in a version of our Earth in roughly contemporary times seems antithetical to the escapist fun they are seeking in RPGs. However, games set in the modern era of a mostly-real world are almost as old as the hobby itself and still enjoy great popularity.
A prominent subgenre within this category are games with a horror, supernatural, or paranormal bent, in which the player characters investigate occult mysteries or hunt for dangerous otherworldly creatures. The archetypal model for this kind of game was provided by the evergreen classic Call of Cthulhu. However, its modern descendants often have nothing to do with either H.P. Lovecraft or the d100 Basic Roleplaying mechanics.
Some games in this vein aim for a deathly serious atmosphere and underline the inherent weakness of humanity confronted with incomprehensible supernatural foes. Others are much more lighthearted and optimistic in tone and resemble horror comedy movies. Similarly, there is a large variety in terms of game mechanics: the systems that emphasize the use of detective skills can be contrasted with those that provide detailed resolution rules for combat or thrilling action scenes.
This list focuses on games about paranormal investigations and monster hunting, but also includes some more realistic and mundane modern-day games (most of them in the espionage genre), which can be easily adapted for darker and more supernaturally-inclined types of adventures.
I tried to limit myself to games in which the player characters are (more or less powerful) mortals rather than supernatural beings themselves. The systems that assume not-quite-human player characters living in worlds infused with magic are listed separately in my urban fantasy entry.
A small portion of the games listed are not strictly contemporary, but set in the 20th or even 19th centuries; I still included them, assuming they would be of interest to the audience of this list (and easy enough to alter for the present day settings should the need arise).
I should also explain my treatment of the generic systems on this list, which forced me to engage in some creative interpretation. While setting-neutral games (such as GURPS, Savage Worlds, or Fate) are technically a correct fit for a group wishing to engage in ghost-, monster- and alien-hunting adventures, it is not very helpful to point somebody to the core rulebook of such a game and tell them to build something themselves. Therefore, for each generic system featured in my sources, I tried to indicate specific setting books and adaptations that would fit the theme of this list. These supplements are often not very popular by themselves, but I list them to demonstrate that their parent generic system is indeed capable of providing for the horror and supernatural genres.
Chronicles of Darkness
5 figs out of 5
World of Darkness: Ghost Hunters
5 figs out of 5
GURPS Horror
5 figs out of 5
GURPS Mysteries
5 figs out of 5
GURPS Monster Hunters
5 figs out of 5
GURPS Black Ops
5 figs out of 5
GURPS Warehouse 23
5 figs out of 5
Conspiracy X
5 figs out of 5
WitchCraft
5 figs out of 5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5 figs out of 5
Angel
5 figs out of 5
Ghosts of Albion
5 figs out of 5
Call of Cthulhu
5 figs out of 5
East Texas University (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Agents of Oblivion (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Rippers (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Deadlands Noir (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Secret Agents of CROSS (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Dark States (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Monster Hunter International (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Imago Mortis (Savage Worlds)
5 figs out of 5
Monster of the Week
5 figs out of 5
Delta Green
5 figs out of 5
Cthulhu Eternal
5 figs out of 5
Night's Black Agents
4.5 figs out of 5
Unknown Armies (2nd Edition)
4.5 figs out of 5
Unknown Armies (3rd Edition)
4.5 figs out of 5
Dresden Files (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
Dresden Files Accelerated (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
Fate of Cthulhu (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
#iHunt (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
Slip (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
Paranormal Affairs Canada (Fate)
4.5 figs out of 5
Trail of Cthulhu
4.5 figs out of 5
Vaesen
4 figs out of 5
Tales from the Loop / Things from the Flood
4 figs out of 5
The Esoterrorists
4 figs out of 5
Odd Soot
4 figs out of 5
Kult: Divinity Lost
4 figs out of 5
Kult (Classic)
4 figs out of 5
Hunter: The Vigil
4 figs out of 5
Hunter: The Reckoning
4 figs out of 5
Fear Itself
4 figs out of 5
Silent Legions
4 figs out of 5
Chill (Classic)
4 figs out of 5
Chill (3rd Edition)
4 figs out of 5
Liminal
4 figs out of 5
d20 Modern
3.5 figs out of 5
Stay Alive! (Cypher)
3.5 figs out of 5
DoubleZero
3.5 figs out of 5
Classified
3.5 figs out of 5
Cthulhu Dark
3.5 figs out of 5
Monster Hunter International (HERO System)
3.5 figs out of 5
Horror Hero (HERO System)
3.5 figs out of 5
Over the Edge (Classic)
3.5 figs out of 5
Over the Edge (3rd Edition)
3.5 figs out of 5
Dark Streets & Darker Secrets
3.5 figs out of 5
Shadowforce Archer (Spycraft)
3.5 figs out of 5
Modern AGE
3.5 figs out of 5
Feng Shui
3.5 figs out of 5
The Laundry
3.5 figs out of 5
Esoteric Enterprises
3.5 figs out of 5
External Containment Bureau (Forged in the Dark)
3.5 figs out of 5
Cryptworld
3.5 figs out of 5
Fall of Delta Green
3.5 figs out of 5
Dark•Matter (Alternity and d20)
3.5 figs out of 5
Top Secret
3 figs out of 5
Bubblegumshoe
3 figs out of 5
Supernatural
3 figs out of 5
Beyond the Supernatural
3 figs out of 5
Covert Ops
3 figs out of 5
Nemesis
3 figs out of 5
Kids on Bikes
3 figs out of 5
InSpectres
3 figs out of 5
Cepheus Modern
3 figs out of 5
Sigil & Shadow
3 figs out of 5
White Lies
3 figs out of 5
Everywhen
3 figs out of 5
D6 Adventure
3 figs out of 5
The Cthulhu Hack
3 figs out of 5
Dark Conspiracy
3 figs out of 5
Nameless Streets
3 figs out of 5
Trinity Continuum
3 figs out of 5
Quantum Black (Ubiquity)
3 figs out of 5
Demon Hunters: A Comedy of Terrors
2.5 figs out of 5
Bureau 13
2.5 figs out of 5
The Unexplained
2.5 figs out of 5
Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes
2.5 figs out of 5
Code:Black (EABA)
2.5 figs out of 5
Ninjas & Superspies
2.5 figs out of 5
Paranormal Inc. (Carved from Brindlewood)
2.5 figs out of 5
Ghostbusters
2.5 figs out of 5
Spooktacular
2.5 figs out of 5
Liminal Horror
2.5 figs out of 5
N.O.W.
2.5 figs out of 5
Heaven & Earth
2.5 figs out of 5
Tiny Cthulhu
2.5 figs out of 5
Night Shift
2.5 figs out of 5
Lovecraftesque
2.5 figs out of 5
Doctor Who
2.5 figs out of 5
Casting the Runes
2.5 figs out of 5
Ghostories
2.5 figs out of 5