The slasher movie is a Hollywood institution. Since the 1960s, audiences have flocked to cinemas to see all kinds of spooky people and dangerous creatures run roughshod over any group of people unlucky enough to end up in their sights. However, what makes the slasher genre especially fascinating is that it hasn’t gone out of fashion; every year, hundreds of new slashers make their way to big and small screens, most of which still use the genre’s original format. Thankfully, TTRPG fans who want to recreate the feeling of a slasher movie without booking a stay at the real-life Bates Motel don’t need to worry, as It Will Kill takes the classic slasher movie format and turns it into a fantastic TTRPG.
It Will Kill is a horror game for one or two players. The game drops players into the final act of a horror film, one where only the killer and the final girl remain. Thus, the final survivor must muster all their strength and take the fight to the killer, engaging in a final showdown where only one will leave alive (until the sequel, anyway).
A Unique Dice Pool Mechanic
When the game starts, the survivor has a pool of dice, consisting of a d4, a d6, a d8, a d10, a d12, and a d20. Their character also starts with an improvised melee weapon of their choice.
The main game is split into rounds. In each round, the survivor describes what actions they want to take and assigns a die from their pool to each one. Then the player rolls all of the assigned dice. If the highest roll is four or more, the action is successful and the survivor damages one of the killer’s weak points.
However, if none of the rolls are four or above, the killer gets close and wounds the survivor. When this happens, the player permanently removes one die from their pool. Should the survivor run out of dice, the killer claims them, and the game ends.
On top of this, the survivor has a few other ways to turn the tide. For example, if the player rolls multiple successful dice when making a check, they can trade in the extra successes for helpful effects. These effects include recovering previously lost dice or blocking damage the next time they fail, adding an additional level of strategy and storytelling to the game.
Capturing The Slasher Movie Feel
It Will Kill does a fantastic job of capturing the feeling of a horror film’s final act through its mechanics. The best example of this is that the survivor can attempt multiple narrative actions (each with their own dice) per round. The final acts of most slasher films tend to be chaotic affairs, with the panicking final girl throwing everything she can at the killer in the vain hope that something will make an impact. As using multiple actions is the best strategy (as more dice rolled means a higher chance of getting over four), players are naturally encouraged to lean into this tone.
Combine with the fact that having multiple actions per turn keeps the game’s pace high, and It Will Kill is overflowing with the frantic energy that makes the final acts of classic slasher films so gripping.
I’m also a big fan of the game’s decision to only emulate the final act of the slasher narrative. While the early parts of slasher movies are fun and do the crucial job of setting up the plot threads that feed into the final confrontation, they function vastly differently from the final act. Thus, if a TTRPG wanted to emulate this part of the slasher movie experience, it would need a totally different set of mechanics that would suit the slow build-up of tension these scenes are built on. So, by focusing only on the final act, It Will Kill remains mechanically focused, something that helps the game maintain a strong core and a good sense of flow during play.
It Will Kill also looks stunning. The designers did a fantastic job with the graphic design, as each page features images and design flourishes that evoke the look and feel of the genre the game is trying to emulate. However, despite these numerous elements, the pages are never difficult to read. Thus, the game’s rules are a breeze, even for those unfamiliar with TTRPG games, making it a fantastic introduction to solo or duo gaming.
It Will Kill is a fantastic slasher TTRPG for solo gamers and pairs. By focusing only on the story’s final act, the game lets players quickly get to the action and embrace the chaos that makes the genre so memorable. Combine this with the easy-to-learn and deeply intuitive rules, and you’re left with a flowing experience that comes together beautifully in play, making it a must-play title for TTRPG players who love slasher films.
