- Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill features fun and challenging puzzles
- Unlock new Slashers to play as
- Use your victims’ fear against them
We’ve all been there – sitting on the couch watching a horror film when a character makes an obvious mistake. You yell at the screen, “Don’t go in there!” But of course, they do. However, you can take advantage of the idiocy of slasher victims as you become the ultimate slasher villain in Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill.
From Netflix and Blue Wizard Digital, Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill is a challenging puzzle game with a comedic horror aesthetic. You play as Skull Face, a typical slasher villain in a skull mask who is resurrected by foolish campers. Back in the flesh, you’re ready to continue your slasher rampage, beginning with those idiot campers.
One of the first things you’ll notice upon launching the game is the adorable slasher parody of Netflix’s streaming interface. First, SlashFlix displays across the screen in Netflix’s iconic font. Levels are divided into chapters called movies, which are displayed in rows by genre, much like on the streaming service.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see which “movie” is currently recommended for you. You’ll even see your chosen Netflix account icon in the upper right corner of the screen. While this doesn’t add anything to the gameplay, it’s a nice aesthetic touch.
Each level plays out on an environment laid out over a grid. You can move across the grid in any direction other than diagonally. You’ll need to take out all the victims to clear a level. Shake trees to scare your prey and send them running, or utilize balls and boxes to flatten them.
If you spook a victim, they may run off the map and escape. To stop this from happening, you’ll need to use obstacles to your advantage and approach your potential victims from the most advantageous direction.
Sometimes, you won’t be able to reach a victim due to an obstacle – like a bomb, for instance. Luckily, your victims have all the intelligence of the first guy to die in a horror film. So, if you can get them to run away from you in the right direction, they’ll take care of the bomb – and themselves – for you.
As you progress, you’ll encounter potential victims with a sense of self-preservation, such as hunters and police officers. Such individuals don’t count as victims and thus don’t have to be killed to complete a level, but they do pose a significant challenge. Police officers can shoot you if you walk right in front of them, while hunters periodically shoot anything, including your victims, in their direct line of sight. While you don’t need to take out these individuals, that doesn’t mean you can’t. You are a slasher villain, after all.
Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill doesn’t shy away from a challenge. The game’s puzzles, while all fitting the same basic format, continue to be challenging as you progress. Luckily, the game features a hint system, or I’d still be scratching my head over a few particularly difficult levels. However, Slayaway Camp 2 could have benefited from a more nuanced hint system.
Tapping the fast-forward button once gives you a basic hint to get you started. Double tapping the fast-forward button, however, shows you exactly how to complete the level. You can exit the preview before it gives away the whole level. However, it’d be nice to have a few more small hints before revealing exactly how it’s done.
For each level you complete, you’ll earn a star. When you have enough stars, you can unlock a new genre of levels. Each genre features unique levels and unlocks new slashers or other forms of characters. Once you unlock the Long, Overly Literal Titles genre, you’ll gain your first playable Beast. As a beast, you can use the growl to make nearby enemies cower. As you progress, you’ll also unlock Sorcerers, Monsters and Ghosts; each killer category has a unique ability.
Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill is a comedic horror-fueled puzzler that will keep you on your toes. While the hint system could be improved, the puzzles prove both fun and challenging. Unlocking new Slashers and trying them out is fun, and the game really nails the horror-comedy aesthetic. With challenging puzzles across a variety of exciting settings and tons of genres to unlock, Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix and Kill is the ultimate puzzle game for horror-comedy fans.
