Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game isn’t the first horror franchise a game studio has adapted into a video game. Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and, by association, Dead by Daylight have all made the jump to the world of gaming. Killer Klowns lacks mainstream recognition, but it makes up for it by fully embracing everything fans love from the cult classic.
On the surface, this plays with the same asymmetric multiplayer experience as every other entry in the genre. A team of humans aim to survive the onslaught from the eponymous clowns. The more you play, however, the more Killer Klowns stands out, thanks to the new ideas that help players remain engaged throughout an entire match.
Killer Klowns Is The First Asymmetrical Multiplayer Game to Feel Like It Gets Everything Right
For example, there’s nothing more frustrating than being dead for most of a game session. Watching friends have fun while being on the sidelines is the opposite of a good time. Killer Klowns gives eliminated players mini-games to complete that can help give allies precious resources needed to survive. The human team needs all the help they can get too, as this is not a fair fight.
That’s par for the course in the genre: there will always be more humans trying to outlast the villains. Yet despite the odds stacked against them, villains are able to take people out given their powerful abilities. Even if only a handful of human players are eliminated, that’s still a “feels bad” moment for participating members. It doesn’t matter if your team won if you didn’t participate in most of the game.
Mini-games available in the Killer Klowns demo range from whack-a-mole, Simon, and other puzzle games. Awarded items have varying degrees of usefulness. On the surface, shotgun shells have more benefits than a tennis ball or a burger, but the human team needs to survive at any cost. Sometimes, the most innocent-looking items turned the tide.
Killer Klowns Is A Love Letter To The Movies
More often than not, video game adaptions try to do their source material justice only to fall short. Killer Klowns not only perfectly brings the cult classic film to life but also includes several noticeable nods that fans will love. “Klowntalaties,” which can occur when Klowns kill a human, are kills taken straight from the movies.
Conversely, humans can deal damage themselves when they find appropriate weapons. Despite their strength, Klowns aren’t invincible. They can be killed by targeting their nose, which is, you guessed it, just like the movies.
The balance of humans doing what they can to survive and being able to hold their own helps the Klowns not feel too overpowered. They’re certainly advantaged during our time playing at PAX East, but that could be due to the environment not conducive to playing a team based game.
As it stands, Killer Klowns From Outer Space The Game is an absolute blast brimming with potential. By leaning into everything that makes the cult classic B-movie great, it delivers everything fans could have hoped for. The simple idea of allowing eliminated players to still contribute to their teammates only adds to the potential of a breakout multiplayer hit.