PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Evil has returned to Slaughterville in Welcome to Slaughterville 2, a cooperative horror game for one to six players.
In Welcome to Slaughterville 2, developed by Laughing Rogue, players must work together to defeat one of five threats to Slaughterville: Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, a Cult of Cthulhu, an Ancient Burial Ground, and The Dark Presence. Each of them affect the game in their own unique way, so players will have to plan accordingly.
There are a ton of characters to choose from, ranging from the stereotypes that you would find in any horror movie to some that are not so typical of the genre. Each character has their own stats and abilities that will change up the gameplay.
Exploring Slaughterville’s six locations provides the meat of the game. Each location has its own deck of cards, ensuring that every draw is thematic to the setting. Players will find themselves hesitantly pushing forward, knowing that the next card could mean disaster just as easily as it could provide a clue or useful item. Teamwork is key if there is to be any hope in pushing back the growing threat.
The goal is to stop the main threat before they are able to accomplish their goals. Failing to do so will result in a final showdown that will have the odds stacked against the players considerably. Welcome to Slaughterville 2 pulls off its intended atmosphere really well in most areas, a marriage of ’80s horror movies and classic horror. The artwork is great, the locations work well, as do most of the characters. The game’s difficulty effectively builds a sense of dread as you helplessly watch the threat grow as you scramble around town trying to stop it.
There is one rather jarring drawback, however. Some of the character cards replace the artwork with actual photos of the designers in their role. While it does have a unique “meta” feel to it, it detracts from the overall atmosphere of the game.
The mechanics of Welcome to Slaughterville 2 are fun, if a little unclear at times. Everything is well balanced. When things start going wrong, you never feel cheated, and it’s never too easy.
Overall, Welcome to Slaughterville 2 is a fun, atmospheric game that does a better job than some of its more well known competitors with this type of game. If you own the first one, then you can interchange elements of the two games to keep the gameplay fresh for a long time.
