You know those cheesy horror-slasher type movies, the ones where you constantly shout “Why are you going out there you dope!” Well, Psycho Killer is a quick to play card game that tries to bring back the feelings of blood, booby traps and the feeling of unease as a killer creeps ever closer.
The lovely people at VR Games sent me a copy of Psycho Killer and I will be honest, apart from the lovely VHS style box, I was not expecting too much. What I actually got though was something a lot more fun than I thought, a game that brings with it gameplay that makes sense and really fits the theme it tries to portray. Grab your chainsaw and let's do this!
Take That with Tactics
Psycho Killer is essentially a ‘take that’ game with a sprinkling of hand management. After shuffling the deck and splitting it into 2 piles, you are ready to run for your life. Within said deck are 5 Psycho Killers. These are both the game’s timer and the main thrust of many gameplay decisions you will make. Most of the other cards are weapons and cards that allow you manipulate the deck, both to your advantage and to your detriment.
As your hand fills with weapons, you will want to find ways to get rid of them quickly. This is because as soon as a player finds a Psycho Killer card, they attack and all your weapon cards in your hand count against you. It is how you pass them around and when you use the game's various horror-themed doodads to avoid injury that will determine if you live or more likely, be sliced into bits by a savage killer.
Injuries and Killers
After playing any number of payable cards from your hand, you then end your turn by drawing a card. If this card is a Psycho then you put it in front of yourself as an injury and it is worth 3 points. Not only that but all weapons held by all players are then laid out in front of them, also as injuries because the Psycho has attacked all players. These range from a 5 point chainsaw down to a 1 point hook and everything between.
This can be very bad, holding on to too many weapon cards is nerve-wrecking. You know as soon as someone finds a Psycho KIller, you will end up full of holes, chainsaws and your injury score will sky rocker. Once the 5th and final killer is found it's the player with the lowest injury score that will win.
Mitigation, Take That and Various Horror-Based Tropes
This is where Psycho Killer really made sense to us, became more of a game and started to really shine. Especially when we all got into the theme and played it like it was a real horror movie.
There are various cards, including some you have to action as soon as you draw them that really change the direction of play, throw spanners into the proverbial works or even give players chance to do something clever.
For example, there's a barricade card that allows you, when attacked, to not have to put your weapons down on the table. This card can be the difference to winning or losing if used correctly. There are trap doors, which allow you to put back the card you just drew and draw another, perfect for putting a Psycho Killer or high value weapon back for the next player to draw.
There are also ‘instantly acting actions’ things like ‘stepping on a twig’ other horror movie turning points that you must action when you draw them. Everything about the cards in this game are dripping with theme and made sense, both in a narrative sense and even from a mechanical standpoint. It's really well done and very enjoyable if your group gets into the theme with a bit of light roleplay.
Left for Dead
If you get to 10 points worth of injuries, you are ‘left for dead’. This is a slight catch-up mechanic of sorts, it basically means whenever you turn over one of the instantly actioned cards, the ones that normally make players groan in dread, you don’t have to action them normally. You can hold them in your hands and using other cards in the game, pass them to other players and they must action them instead. Lovely-jubbly!
This is a fun little thing to do, however, it does mean you are doing quite badly, are rather injured and probably close to death. Oh well, every cloud and all that!
Push your Luck and Variants
There are a couple of variant rules in the box, one that add a push-your-luck element to the game, giving players the ability to push drawing more cards and risk the threat of murderers on the loose. There are also rules to draw up to three cards if you have none and a rule that once per turn, allows you to play a card immediately after drawing it.
These three little rule variants add a little spice to the game, I am not sure which ones I prefer and which arrangement to play them in but extra variants baked into the base game are always welcome.
Final Thoughts
As I said above, I enjoyed Psycho Killer a lot more than I thought I would. I normally find ‘take that’ games quite irksome but I think the theme and mechanics present here give this little box a bit more than just ‘take that’.
The theme and narrative this game creates in the group, as long as your group gets into it, is fantastic. Setting up the decks to try and catch your friends out is hilarious and slipping your comrades weapon cards is entertaining. Psycho Killer is quick and easy to learn, it may not be the deepest game around and may not last in your collection for too long but it's thoroughly entertaining. The theme will not be everyone’s cup of tea but I think most people will find some sort of fun in its blood-soaked horror narrative and presentation.
Right, I am off to hide under the bed!
Scores
Zatu Score: 70%
Rating:
Artwork ***
Complexity **
Replayability ***
Player Interaction *****
Component Quality ***
You might like:
- A fun theme
- Cards really lean into the narrative and setting
- Quick and easy to play
- More tactics and ‘game’ than you initially think
You might not like:
- The theme is not for everyone
- Very group dependant
- Lot of ‘take that’
