MoMoDi’s cyberpunk meets cosmic horror has been funded on Kickstarter, and the pitch video lets you know it will be a bit different. It begins with people wearing mind-control helmets and some shots across the bow at a nameless but popular d20-based RPG.
eXistential eSsential has already made its funding goal and will run until June 1st. We’re lucky enough to chat with CEO and designer Alexander Marc Yanis which you can read below or skip to the pitch page.
Backers who pledge $10 or more pick up a PDF copy of the XS core rules as a thank you.
Those who can raise their funds to $35 will receive a hardcover, and MoMoDi estimates shipping will occur before the end of the year.
Higher tiers are available, such as the $65 t-shirt bundle and a $150 gaming session with the XS crew.
The project includes XS minis, available to backers with pledges of $200 or above.
An interview with Alexander Marc Yanis
We chat about eXistential eSsential and the blend of cyberpunk with existentialistic cosmic horror.
MoMoDi will be Kickstarting a dark comedy cyberpunk cosmic horror calledeXistential eSsential (XS). My tired little brain connects that to existentialism but then gets lost. Can you help and explain what existentialism is?
Indubitably! The Kickstarter is on May 1st and will last until May 31st to be exact!
But, “what is existentialism” is a great question! Existentialism is about the haunting question that all humans at some point think about – what is the role of human existence in the grand scheme of things and why are we capable of contemplating this concept?
It attempts to approach reality as bluntly as possible, often leading people to wondering to what extent we affect the universe with our existence, or if we affect it at all. Because of this, the very theme of existentialism usually rears its head into the horror genre! With specificity, the cosmic horror genre. That’s where eXistential eSsential comes in!
Normatively, you leave the cosmic horror alone in its own space and the tone would consume the entirety of the theme of the medium! However, eXistential eSsential amalgamates cosmic horror with cyberpunk elements – which is a sci-fi genre that approaches the maximal potential of humanity not being humanity at all, but possibly technology and/or juggernaut corporation(s) that which perpetuates said technology.
I thought this was a beautiful blend in that the epitome of humanity, no matter how great and overreaching, does not overcome the terrors of the unknown! The game poses such an over-the-top tragic existence that its exaggeration and expressiveness lead to comedic nonsensicalness as the cherry on top of the cake!
I gather that Existential Essential (XS) is part homage to a departed friend of yours. Is this right, and why make a dark game about existentialism to celebrate someone’s life?
That is correct. It was devastating to everyone who knew him. He was a humorous guy in spite of the challenges he faced as a veteran. The reason I came to the conclusion of making this game in his honor is because he always believed in me. I remember that he couldn’t wait for me to make a game so I could be on his podcast. This was at a time where I didn’t even take the idea of being a game designer so seriously.
After his passing, I felt as though I had one of two decisions. Do I look at his leaving this world as the reason to no longer move forward because it reminds me of him…or do I move forward BECAUSE it reminds me of him, and he would have wanted that? I’m here today because I chose the latter option. I decided that I could move forward with him, and he was implemented within every aspect of the game.
Although we discussed games a great deal, we also discussed philosophy, psychology, and religion. Because of this, I thought the best move was to pursue the philosophy of existentialism that came up oh-so-often in our conversations and thought that cosmic horror fit that theme so well! Cyberpunk was just an excuse to have awesome things like mechas, robots, lasers, and a unique mesh that just works so well together!
My friend, Ronnie McNutt’s humor was the reason for the tongue-in-cheek comedy, which made the creation process so much fun – and the result was everyone who play-tested it having a blast! That said, in a way, he lives within every sentence and word of the book!
The combat system sounds brutal. No Hit Points and characters, only ever two fails away from death. Why take that route?
OH, YEAH! It’s extremely lethal – no Hit Points! BUT what makes the game so fun is that the lethality goes both ways! This means that as mortal as you are, your enemies are similarly mortal and you’ll be able to do the coolest things imaginable with the advantage of your cybernetics and whacky equipment!
This leads to the game being less about the focus on the longevity of characters, and more about the LEGACY of characters! Everyone is always ready and willing to do the most awesome and stylishly-cinematic thing they could think of – and goodness gracious, do they end up oozing with panache!
To replace Hit Points, I came up with a new-player friendly system – you take damage, you then have to roll equal to or higher than the damage! You fail, you lose a Wound and a limb! You only have 1 Wound. This means that the next failed roll you make against damage will be the final epic scene you get to role-play before the end of your awesome character!
How quickly can people create and integrate new characters into the story and action?
So, eXistential Essential prides itself in its character creation process! If you want to create your own character it’s as simple as choosing 1 of 9 bizarre and unique character classes – there is no dps, tank, healer trinity – you just make the crazy-cool thematic character you imagine up who is capable of doing things that you normally can only do at high levels in other games! You then use 10 XP on your character class however you see fit which allows for creative freedom even at the start!
Lastly, choose ANY 6 equipment pieces in the game so long as your class has access! That’s it! Jump in and have fun being awesome!
For those who’d rather just jump into the game, the book comes with 9 sample characters, 1 for each class!
For over 2 years of play-testing, with over 8 different groups in different parts of the world, from 12 years old all the way to people in their late 60s, they’ve all played the game, and praised its ease of access in making their own personalized characters, as well as the immediate feeling of their character’s profound impactfulness in every aspect!
Okay, we’ve been talking about the dark and action aspects of XS, but the game is also a comedy. Is it like Paranoia? How do you take this killer cyberpunk sci-fi setting and introduce humour?
Admittedly, I have never played Paranoia, but its existence was brought to my attention last year (2023) and I’m so glad something like that exists out there! We could always use more laughter and fun in this world!
That said, eXistential eSsential’s comedic aspect is a cover for just how grim the setting for the game actually is! There are hilarious things built into the world, such as these enforcers, called Regulators, who are hired to establish policy and law in a sector, because the authorities forgot what the laws for that sector are. So, this naturally means that if a Regulator meets another Regulator, and they differ on policies, they have to battle to-the-death. Whoever wins officially has their policies set for that sector…until another Regulator comes along and disagrees!
Silly things like that run rampant throughout the entirety of the game’s book.
Stick with me… Existential Essential (XS) is also cosmic horror? Lovecraftian mythos-style greater gods?
Yes!
The universe is ending due to the slow awakening of an eldritch being (Azathoth), whose dream everyone is a part of. The characters don’t know why the universe is ending, but they know it is, in fact, ending. This drives everyone to depression, and causes governments to fail across the world, allowing the rise of corporations to form one conglomerate to rule under mankind referred to as the Corporate Syndicate.
To stabilize society, the Corporate Syndicate hands out these headsets to everyone called DayDreamer Units. People who wear these virtual reality headsets (referred to as Sleepwalkers) choose to live a false reality where this grim, dystopian world looks beautiful. The headset gives them “bonus points” like a video game, releasing dopamine for doing mundane things like doing the dishes or mopping the floor. This keeps everyone passive and willing to do any obnoxious thing the Corporate Syndicate asks, thinking it’s just a game, allowing the Corporate Syndicate to get away without a trace.
Players take control of characters who refuse to wear the headset and choose to see reality for what it truly is; the eXistential eSsential, if you will. As heroic as this might seem…the characters may soon regret pursuing the truth when they learn about the madenning reality of eldritch horrors!
Gosh! This is a heady mixture, but I can see it working. Where on Earth did the inspiration come from? Are there any cultural references you can share?
So many! For the cyberpunk portion, I always had Bladerunner in the back of my mind. So, you’ll definitely find sprinkles of sci-fi noir detective vibes throughout the game, which I think perfectly matches the investigatory nature of other cosmic horror games like Call of Cthulhu – another influence on the game.
From a system standpoint, the only game that is even close to being similar, and I could even see that it might have influenced the fact that there are different polyhedral die sizes in place of your attributes instead of modifiers to a die-roll, might have been first explored with games such as Savage Worlds! I have had the privilege of meeting Sean Patrick Fannon these past few years, who worked on the original Savage Worlds, and if there’s any slight overlap, it’s probably subconsciously due to my respect for his work!
What tips do you have for GMs about to run their first Existential Essential (XS) game?
GMs, fret you not! This game has a section toward the back of the book specifically for YOU!
The game has made things simple to keep track of, and always has tools for you (such as Non-Player Character and eldritch horror creators and templates) to naturally encourage progressing the story throughout the game. Things such as a lack of a true currency system. Instead, you have I.O.U.s in the game.
There is no way to make money since the Corporate Syndicate owns everything. So, this means that the only way for a character to get their next awesome piece of equipment is to attain an I.O.U. and the only way to attain an I.O.U. is to do a favor for an Agent in the game! You do a favor, you get an I.O.U. you can trade that for any single ware the agent has. This means that players will naturally gravitate toward interacting with characters and story/plot points that advance the game forward! Oh, yeah, and each equipment piece goes to an intuitive body-location slot, so no more figuring out your weight limit. For example; an arm cybernetic goes to the left or arm slot of your choice – now, you cannot put anything else in that arm slot!
Even the way you gain experience (XP) is immediately after solving puzzles, overcoming challenges, and only after defeating enemies who progress the story forward. The XP is gained immediately and may be spent immediately, so players don’t have to wait until they “level up” or at the end of the game session to advance. This keeps the pace of the game flowing, and keeps the players engaged; wanting more! No more murder-hobo-ing!
Please tell us about the name “MoMoDi”. Does it stand for something?
MoMoDi is the shortening for what the mission statement of the company is…a company whose mission it is to create things that emulate the fun and exciting feeling you get when you pick up and roll More and More Dice! Hence, MoMoDi (More and More Dice)!
Our goal is to always chase down and capture that spirit of fun. Since the inception of the company, the goal has been to make the perfect excuse for people to get around a table together to laugh, cheer, and even cry. It’s what my family used as a means of overcoming challenging times, including my father throughout his battles with cancer (who is officially in remission as of my birthday April 18). Get together, play games, and love on each other.
What’s next for MoMoDi, and does it depend on how the Kickstarter goes?
MoMoDi is looking toward that Kickstarter on May 1st! This is an extraordinary Kickstarter because it isn’t asking for money to help establish an idea that hasn’t been fully realized. eXistential eSsential’s core rulebook, which has everything you need to start your very first session, has been fully written, illustrated, and edited by yours truly (with the exception of 7 AMAZING pages illustrated by my friend Christian Leet, who lent his talent for said 7 pages)!
It’s a labor of love, play-tested for over 2 years by 8 different groups, and is going to be released through DriveThruRPG who sent us a beautiful hardcover copy of the game to show that it’s ready to be sent out to players everywhere!
I even got 20 miniatures in the making, with 6 already complete! These are hand-sculpted overseas in the UK, baby! They’ll be available on the Kickstarter along with t-shirts, and even a means to play a session with me and the original/first play-tester crew!
And I don’t plan on stopping with eXistential eSsential. I got lots more in the works – even started working on some new ideas with some of eXistential eSsential’s play-testers for collaborative opportunities…or maybe even company expansion? Who knows what the possibilities are!
All I know is that people like you, over in Geek Native, are the reason games like eXistential eSsential exist. People like you support dreams, so that way those dreams can one day become a reality.
Thank you for supporting my dream.
Thank you for making it a part of our reality.
Can’t wait to share this dream-made-reality with even more people.
Stay blessed, and stay beautiful!!!
Quick Links
- Kickstarter: eXistential eSsential
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