Videogame Review: Slayaway Camp
Do you enjoy complex slide-puzzles? Are you a fan of trashy 1980's horror films? Do you daydream of killing sprees on drug-abusing, sex-addicted teen counselors at summer camp? If so, Slayaway Camp may be the game for you! (Though if you answered yes to that last one, you might want to seek professional attention.)
"Experience a new dimension of gut-blasting terror as an unspeakable killing force of skull-faced killing maims and kills his way through smart-mouthed, over-sexed, substance-abusing young adults. No teenager is safe… no law enforcement enforces the law enough… and no animals are harmed… in the summer horror blockbuster smash hit of 1984." Steam
Don't continue unless you enjoy hilarous scenes of pixilated murder!
Slayaway Camp is a charming little Halloween slide puzzle that puts the player into the shoes of Skullface, a psychotic slasher out to kill teenage counselors at the local campground. The killer must slide around isometric puzzles, brutally murdering teens as he goes, all the while watching out for cops, traps, campfires and pits of doom! Decapitate, incinerate, and bumblebee-ate(?) your victims to unlock the portal...and return in the sequel!
The game itself is divided into ten VHS horror tapes, each with a number of puzzle scenes to complete (plus deleted scenes, of course!). Complete the first movie, Slayaway Camp, and you will begin unlocking the sequel films (Return to Slayaway Camp, The Abusement Park, etc.), each with harder puzzles and more difficult challenges. If you get tired of Skullface, you can continue your killing spree as any one of a number of unlockable murderers (Sharkman happens to be my personal favorite!). And if you feel the kill scenes become too repetitive, you can always unlock new "Gore-Pak" murder scenes featuring wood-chippers, lawnmowers, Sumerian demon incantations, bumblebees and many more!
I must admit, I am not big on puzzle games like this, however the reviews intrigued me (and I'm a HUGE fan of trashy horror movies). Despite my initial reservations, I think it took me all of 5 minutes to completely lose myself in this game; it's incredibly addictive! It can be difficult to stop playing as I always want to play "just one more scene". The puzzles are simple enough in the beginning, but they get rather difficult fairly quickly as you begin unlocking more films; with over 200 puzzles, this game is well worth the money!
The atmosphere of the game is pretty solid. The soundtrack is extremely reminiscent of a horror film; each scene begins with calm, soothing music that crescendos to a terrifying pulse as you make your move on the campers. Like oblivious soon-to-be-murdered-teens, the little characters begin each level happy and content, but grow nervous as you draw near and start screaming in horror if you get just a little too close! And the way blood and gore splatters the scene as you slaughter your victims...it really does feel like a genuine tribute to those 80's slasher films! (Just watch the trailer if you don't believe me!)
So, yeah, Slayaway Camp is a little on the morbid side as far as puzzle games go, but the developers absolutely nailed it on both atmosphere and puzzle content. Overall the game is receiving extremely positive reviews (Very positive to overwhelmingly positive on Steam), and players seem to have nothing but compliments towards the developer, Blue Wizard Digital. So if you want to embrace your twisted side a bit and enjoy what really is a hilariously fun, challenging puzzle game, I encourage you to check out Slayaway Camp!
