I’m Not A Monster never quite drew the crowds I thought it deserved, despite being a clever mash-up of retro pulp sci-fi, parlour game Werewolf and XCOM-style tactics. I’d hazard a guess that the game only offering a bare-bones solo mode against bots to train up for multiplayer was part of what did it in. Thankfully, developers Cheerdealers aren’t quite willing to throw in the towel, and have just announced First Contact, a story-heavy solo campaign mode. It’s due to launch later this year, with sign-ups open now for a beta test starting next month. Below, a short teaser trailer.

For those who never played the original version, I’m Not A Monster is an XCOM-esque multiplayer strategy game where each player controls one character in tightly timed turns. Your goal is to evacuate space-tourists aboard a space-cruise liner to safety. The only problem is that part of the rescue team are secretly shapeshifting alien lizards, able to infect civilians and turn them into more host bodies to possess if you die. Matches tended to be short, paranoid and full of inadvertent backstabbing. Is that player who snuck off to a side-room (out of sight) an alien, or just lost?

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Despite a Kickstarter drive for the campaign falling through, Cheerdealers look like they’re doing a lot with comparatively little with First Contact. I’m expecting less paranoia, but probably a few weird twists and goofy old movie tropes dredged up for pointing and laughing at. Players will hop between eight playable characters (including the atrociously named Captain Laser) across several dozen small missions.

Cheerdealers reckon it’ll provide around ten hours of introduction to the game’s world of retro-future glamour and peril. Hopefully it’ll be enough to give the game’s multiplayer a second wind. I’m all for giving games a second chance, especially multiplayer ones. Don’t forget that despite being a huge phenomenon now, Rocket League started life as a largely-unknown PS3 game.

The First Contact campaign appears to be a free upgrade for existing owners of the game. Players can sign up for an early campaign beta on the game’s official page here. The sadly under-populated original version is available on Steam and Humble for £10.29/€10.79/$12.99, published by Alawar Premium.