Halloween Game Preview: IllFonic’s New Asymmetrical Horror

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Illfonic is a game developer known for creating scary, asymmetrical multiplayer games where a group of players face off against a single, powerful monster. They’ve built games around popular franchises like Friday the 13th (2017), where one player is Jason Voorhees and others are camp counselors, and Predator: Hunting Grounds (2020), which pits a Predator against a team of soldiers. Their latest game, Killer Klowns from Outer Space (2024), follows this formula, but with a twist: instead of one Klown, there are three terrorizing the humans trying to survive.

Illfonic, the team behind several horror multiplayer games, is back with a new title based on the classic Halloween movies. You’ll play alongside or against Michael Myers, the infamous and seemingly unstoppable Boogeyman. Most fans already know the story – his dark past, his time in a sanitarium, and his return to terrorize his hometown on Halloween night. But you’re likely here for the details on the game, which is launching in October.

I recently got to play Illfonic’s Halloween at PAX East 2026 in Boston, trying out both Michael Myers and the Haddonfield residents. While the 20-minute demo was enjoyable, I wasn’t quite sure what makes this game different from other similar asymmetrical multiplayer games released over the past ten years.

Stalking as Michael

During my demo, I noticed a big drop in performance when playing as Michael Myers. The game ran much more smoothly with the survivor characters. Considering the game isn’t out for another five months, I’m hopeful this will be fixed, but it was a bit disappointing during my playtest.

Playing as Michael Myers involves roaming the town of Haddonfield and using your abilities to hunt and eliminate the residents before they can escape or stop you. Myers moves slowly, which builds tension, but he can quickly dash forward – almost like a ghost – to surprise and outmaneuver other players. This dash can only be used in darkness and when no one is looking, and once activated, you can’t cancel it. It’s designed for faster movement around the map, not for rushing directly at players, and it also has a cooldown period.

Each round begins with you receiving a list of town residents to eliminate. Successfully taking them out earns you bonus rewards. These residents typically stay inside their homes and aren’t much of a threat, but killing them can actually make it harder to hunt other players. That’s because the remaining players can talk to these residents and ask them to call for help – bringing the police after you. These alerted residents will then actively attack and shoot at you, making things much more difficult.

One frustrating thing about playing at Myers was figuring out who was a real player and who was an AI character. There weren’t any clear signs, so I had to watch how people moved to guess. Eventually, I could tell by how they reacted – if they ran or attacked in a predictable way, I knew they were AI.

From what I’ve played, Michael Myers only has his knife as a weapon. However, the trailers showed some cool ways to eliminate opponents using the environment – like slamming doors on their heads or using gym equipment. I didn’t get to try these out in my demo, either as Myers or a survivor. It seems like you’re more likely to pull these off by stealthily stalking your victims without alerting them. I’m still figuring out the specifics, but Myers earns more points by secretly observing players, really leaning into the creepy killer vibe.

If the townspeople or police start attacking you – and they easily can, given all the weapons they find – Myers will eventually be stunned and fall, giving you and other players a chance to escape and look for a way out. He feels well-balanced; I never felt like I couldn’t handle the fight. I actually preferred this to games like Dead by Daylight, where the killer is often too powerful and survivors are limited to just running and hiding.

Surviving as a Haddonfield Resident

I had a lot more fun playing as a survivor than as Michael Myers. There’s just so much more to do as a survivor. You can win by finding an escape hatch, leaving in a car, or even, with good teamwork and police assistance, actually capture Myers and send him back to the sanitarium – though it’s not a permanent solution!

I played twice, and Michael Myers won both times, but it still feels easier to survive and escape in this game compared to other horror games where you’re hunted. You can find lots of weapons – pistols, rifles, shotguns, even throwing darts and melee weapons – by searching houses and boxes. Myers can’t be killed, but teamwork lets you stun him, slow him down, and fight back effectively.

The demo didn’t cover this in detail, but the game will feature a way for survivors to improve over time. Each survivor will be unique, with special perks and abilities. Some might be stronger in combat, while others could be better at finding rare items.

Okay, so besides just trying to survive Michael Myers, a big part of the game is running around trying to find the other people who live in Haddonfield. You have to talk to them and basically convince them to call the police or ask for help. It’s kinda strange, though, because you’re being chased by a masked killer and then a little dialogue box pops up! Honestly, it feels a bit out of place. And it’s weird that you seemingly need these neighbors to contact the authorities – there are phones everywhere, why can’t I just call myself?

One issue I have with the non-player characters (NPCs) is their illogical behavior, even when a dangerous enemy is nearby. They often say and do things that don’t make sense within their environment, and seem to exist solely to assist the player. This system feels unfinished, and because it significantly impacts gameplay, it’s hard to overlook. Hopefully, the developers will address these issues before the game officially launches.

If you enjoyed games like Friday the 13th or Dead by Daylight, you’ll likely have fun with this, particularly when playing with friends. It’s definitely a silly and entertaining experience, and the core idea is still strong. However, I hope the finished game feels more refined and stands out from similar titles. We’ll find out when Halloween is released on October 8th.

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2026-03-31 21:13