Psycho Killer

Shuffle the deck and divide it into two piles with a discard pile in between. On your turn, you play as many cards as you like from your hand—barricades, trapdoors, trapdoors, and other horror classics—and end by drawing a card. If you draw a Psycho Killer, you place it in front of you, and all players with weapons in their hands are attacked: they must discard their weapon cards in front of them as injury points. Weapons range from a hook (1 point) to a chainsaw (5 points); each Psycho Killer is worth 3 points. The game ends when the last Psycho Killer is drawn—whoever has the fewest injury points survives as the winner.

Psycho Killer is an Australian independent card game that exploded onto the scene via Kickstarter and is now available internationally. Reviewers consistently describe it as an entertaining and fast-paced take-that game that translates its theme perfectly into the gameplay experience—the tension builds authentically as the killer deck thins. Comparisons to Exploding Kittens are readily apparent, but Psycho Killer offers more agency through the action cards and deliberate hand management. Critics note that the game lacks depth and feels less fresh after several sessions, but for a quick filler with the right group, it's guaranteed to deliver a good laugh. For horror and slasher fans, the thematic presentation—VHS case, cassette symbols, film references—is a definite plus.