Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle

If you ever thought it was impossible to mix a relaxing puzzle game with blood, gore, and an overall horror setting, then you should try this title. Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is an interesting mix of casual gameplay mixed with blood and gore, all delivered in a cartoonish-chibi graphics style.

It is rare to see such different gaming genres mixed, and it's even rarer to see such a well-known franchise being involved in such a mix, but it is good to see that they managed to pull it off. The game lets you control Jason Voorhees, the infamous hockey-mask-wearing serial killer from Camp Crystal Lake, and your job is to pretty much murder every single breathing thing that you see. The gameplay is done in a puzzle-type fashion, where you can control your character via keyboard, mouse, or gamepad on a tile-like map which is customized to look like some of the famous movie settings.

While the objective is to get Jason right next to your targets, moving to them is a bit trickier, since sending Jason into one direction will make him travel all the way across the map, until he reaches an obstacle. This means that getting to a target can involve going right past it before you reach a tile that's adjacent to it. Once you've reached your target, you proceed to kill it in the most brutal way possible, and once all targets are killed, you get to kill a bonus victim, but this target's death is staged to be like a quick time event (QTE), and failing it means the victim escapes.

One thing worth noting is that the graphics overall are in somewhat of opposition to the game's theme since both environment and characters are designed in a cartoonish, almost chibi-like fashion. This, along with the ability to choose between PG or R rated kill scenes means the game can be tailored both for children, as well as adults.

Regardless if you feel like releasing some steam or just passing the time with a casual puzzler, Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is an unusual title that manages to surprise us with the addictive gameplay that it brings.