Last week, we had a rather pleasant surprise. The team from Illfonic, the studio developing Killer Klowns from Outer Space, based on the 1988 film of the same name, invited us to join one of their last play sessions before the game’s release in early June this year. As a big fan of the film, I simply couldn’t refuse, and it opened up the opportunity for all of us at Respawn to participate in this short but sweet preview event, where we played and chatted with the entire Illfonic team. In short, the time spent with them was fantastic, and after that brief play session, everyone in our editorial team is convinced that the game will be of high quality upon release.
As I mentioned, Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a game inspired by the 1988 film. Over time, it has become a cult classic among fans, and it’s surprising that we haven’t seen any games with this theme until now. The game is an asymmetric multiplayer title. In each match, there are three klowns and seven humans. The premise is quite simple: Killer Klowns from Outer Space have come to Earth to slaughter humans, and it’s up to you to escape from them or perhaps even hinder them during gameplay. The klowns have fixed weapons—one ranged, one melee—and three special abilities that they can activate during the game, which recharge over time. Humans start with nothing, but they have the entire map and everything they find on it at their disposal.
Unlike other asymmetric horror games, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there’s an interesting twist here. The klowns are the hunters, but it’s not set in stone. As time passes and regular players who are trying to escape start finding various weapons, they can take on the role of the hunter. Humans can kill klowns. Any blunt weapon will stun a clown, while you can “finish” them off with a sharp object. When a clown is killed, they disappear from the map, and it takes them 45 seconds to respawn. This mechanic works well during gameplay. If three players find themselves in the same location, they won’t necessarily have to flee to avoid danger; instead, they can focus on the clown and solve their own problems while figuring out how to escape from the map.
Additionally, even killed players can return to the game if the survivors find and activate the Resurrection Machine. So, even if you die, you don’t exit the game; just wait for your teammates to bring you back. Of course, there’s the fact that you have seven players against three klowns, so at least one of them will likely find the machine and figure out how to activate it.
Because of this, there isn’t an overwhelming pressure to survive at all costs, which can sometimes become tedious when playing as “prey.” The resurrection machine and the ability to kill klowns transform the game from challenging to highly enjoyable and dynamic. Of course, the experience may vary when playing with random players. Keep in mind that we played in a “controlled” environment with five members of our editorial team plus the development team, with whom we constantly discussed the game and how it would differ from others in this niche genre. On the other hand, as goofy as the klowns may look, they appear even more terrifying in the game, and when they chase you, you’ll find yourself laughing and crying simultaneously, desperately seeking cover to survive. The balance between comedy, horror, tension, and fun is well executed. When playing as the klowns, you occasionally feel superior, but you still need tactics to prevent humans from escaping the map.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the game, and after this session, I wanted to play more. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit. We’ll have an exclusive game description on the day of the official embargo, so stay tuned. But that’s not all—here are the impressions of our team members about the game:
Mladen Reljić
‘What are you going to do with those pies, boys?’
Playing Killer Klowns from Outer Space was a fun experience that left me craving for more. The Killer Klowns look great – they are even creepier than in the movie. I played one round as Jumbo (the one who uses the police officer as a puppet in the film), and I had a blast chasing after humans, wrapping them up in cocoons, and killing them when necessary. I didn’t feel overpowered at all. I had to approach the round with some finesse because a group of humans taught me that I could die if outnumbered or outsmarted. It felt great to perform a Klownality (finishing move) after a fight that left me almost dead. I loved ganging up on unsuspecting humans and turning them into cocoons, but I also enjoyed smashing their faces with a hammer.
Playing as a human was a short experience. I tried sneaking around and rummaging for useful items while on a constant lookout for Klowns; I was fortunate to find one of the items necessary for escape, so I legged it toward the exit point, where a friendly developer smashed a barrier preventing me from using the escape item. Fortunately, I was not bored while watching my teammates struggling to escape the Klownpocalypse. While I was dead, I could play a couple of mini-games that rewarded me with items I could give to my living teammates. Giving a shotgun to a teammate with a filled inventory while a Klown is chasing them made me feel silly. It was funny to watch my teammate’s confused reaction upon noticing a shotgun materializing in front of them and dropping down to the ground.
I haven’t heard a lot of in-game music tracks, but what I heard sounded great. It evoked memories of the film and made me nostalgic for my childhood. The short time I spent playing Killer Klowns from Outer Space was fun, and I felt the time fly by. I haven’t played many asymmetrical multiplayer games, but I will play this one.
Uroš Kurlagić:
Although I’m not familiar with the film that inspired the game, it left an impression as if I already knew it. The game partly reminds me of Dead by Daylight, but it’s different in several ways. For example, the part where you can kill a clown, the four different exits, and various items that help in escaping from the klowns. The music and the ambient setting are perfectly aligned, allowing full immersion in the game and creating a sense of fear of the klowns. I didn’t get a complete opinion after two games, but I believe that if more maps are added and each character, both klowns and humans, has something unique—like special clown abilities and human traits—it would prevent the game from becoming monotonous after some time. From my perspective, I rate the game 8/10, but I hope that when it officially releases, it will improve to 10/10.
Miloš Rešković
A game based on a movie from 1988 comes to life in 2024 to keep the movie’s spirit going and bring people together for a wonderful clown versus human story. First of all, the
game looks amazing; it’s full of beautiful objects and landscapes that fill the screen perfectly.
The characters are well made, with good mechanics and amazing animations. Combat
in the game is action-based and focuses on either killing, capturing, or stunning opponents.
Stunning or knocking out an opponent is an interesting option in this type of game
because it’s not that common to give a regular player an option to fight back. There are not
many games like this, but with certainty, I can say that this game has a bright future. A game
can be a little confusing for newer players, but within a game or two, players will learn
everything they need to do, thanks to the well-designed tutorials that developers have made.
One of the things that I can suggest to new players who choose humans as their preferred
playstyle is to carefully read descriptions of items and find the sense of direction of the area
by exploring the map and not trying to speedrun it.
Adi Zeljković
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is a video game based on the cult classic film of the same name from 1988. Players take on the roles of characters from the film and face attacks from funny but deadly klowns from outer space. The game combines action elements, environmental exploration, and combat against various types of klowns.
The game provides a nostalgic experience for fans of the movie, with a faithful representation of the visuals and atmosphere. However, despite this, the game faces certain shortcomings. The controls are sometimes uncomfortable, which can make enjoying the game more difficult. Also, a lack of depth in the game mechanics can lead to quick saturation for more experienced players.
Despite these shortcomings, the game offers a fun experience for fans of B-movies and retro games. With its unique theme and humour, it attracts the attention of those looking for something different. Although not perfect, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game succeeds in conveying the spirit of the original film and provides an opportunity to relive the adventure of space klowns in the world of video games.
The game will be available on June 4th this year on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. Don’t forget to add it to your Steam Wishlist and keep an eye out for the release; whoever decides to pick it up won’t regret it.
