Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game keeps the cult film’s zaniness intact

The beauty of the movieKiller Klowns from Outer Space is the way the title tells you exactly what you are going to get. A small town has been invaded by aliens, who happen to look like Clowns. And you’d best believe they will be killing. Now, that elegant premise is getting its own asymmetrical horror video game.

I went hands-on with the upcoming multiplayer adaptation of this 1980’s horror-comedy from the Chiodo Brothers at PAX East. During my demo, I spoke with some of the team behind it to find out what it takes to adapt a cult classic like Killer Klowns. It’s a story that begins with being in the right place at the right time, merging movie practical effect magic with gaming expertise, and finally answering one of life’s great questions: What does clown blood look like?

Back from outer space

I arrive at the Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Gamedemo to meet with Jared Gerritzen, chief creative officer at Illfonic. We are joined by Jordan Mathewson, the design director on the project. A long line stretches around the booth as PAX goers, some in Killer Klown cosplay, eagerly wait their turn to play. I can’t help but wonder how this crazy project came to be.

If it were any other IP, I don’t think that we would have done it.

“It’s a really weird story,” Gerritzen tells Digital Trends. “Killer Klowns was announced at Gamescom two years ago, and we met the devs (Teravision) that night. We bro’d up and drank together; we offered to play it and check it out and give them feedback. All of these things started to align, and we ended up going, ‘Hey, let us publish it. Let us be the co-devs.’”

The partnership made sense, given Illfonic’s experience in the asymmetrical multiplayer game genre. It’s already done several, including Friday the 13: The Gameand Predator: Hunting Grounds, and had all the backend tech and practical knowledge that comes with that.

But why Killer Klowns?

“Because it’s Killer Klowns!” Gerritzen says. “If it were any other IP, I don’t think that we