In a sleepy midwestern town, there is a killer on the loose. Despite being locked up in a studio tighter than a devout nun’s undercrackers, Forest Nash feels unsafe. I’ve been excited about Team17’s Killer Frequency since I first saw it in February. As apparent from the opening of my preview two months ago now, I have a thing for radio and it spawned from many many rewatches of Frasier. As a puzzle horror title with heavy story elements, Killer Frequency attempts to keep the faders balanced so as not to overload the mix and simply broadcast clipping noise.

As I said in the preview, the gameplay in a radio aspect for Killer Frequency attempts to simplify the larger scope of radio and audio production. With only four faders to the mixer, you control the tape machine, a board of sound effects, a record player, and the master volume (including incoming calls). Early on, few cares are given to keeping a balance or proper ducking technique while introducing the occasional 80s-inspired tracks. I can assume this is to compensate for consoles possibly being clunky with something more complicated.

Speculation doesn’t matter so much when it comes to play. You attempt to save the people of Gallows Creek with magazines, maps, and otherwise while the cops retreat for backup. Between the talk-show elements of “189.16 – The Scream,” you take musical intervals to explore the station and find the details to help the weary listeners of your nightly show or discover more records to add to your collection. Similar to the simplification of audio production, exploration can take however long you need as each track loops and is generic enough that it doesn’t really stand out.

Focused more on the story of the killer returning to Townsville, these simplifications make sense in that context as the voice acting and other aspects could be a constraint on this. I’m not entirely complaining, sometimes I prefer being given the time to make decisions or explore. Though as far as gameplay goes, the difficulty certainly doesn’t come from the trappings of the setting as a whole. There is no adverse effect to regular dead air (aside from an achievement) or poor production in general, but more from making someone dead on the air by forgetting details overtly told to you.

Being as camp as Dale Winton taking a tent to the Peak District, Killer Frequency dances on the line between hokey, funny, and horror-focused. The bloke at the newspaper sounds like a 1920s New York wise guy one step away from being in Bugsy Malone and saying “Myeah! See…” This is often a difficult dance to do, especially for Americans. Doctor Who is a great example of it often done poorly and Eureka is an example of it done beautifully. Some lines can sound a little ropey, but the severity of the Gallows Creek murderer is never overstated nor played as a clown honking his nose on the graves of his victims.

Nash’s character plays as the hot-shot fallen-from-grace radio man, going from the big city of Chicago with millions of listeners to a station and show with only 12 regular listeners at peak. Forest Nash has a lot of suspicions about not only the move to Gallows Creek but also the validity of the murderer. This skepticism is quickly extinguished after teens prank-call in and the very evident breathy killer shows just how sinister this wannabe Big Finish audio drama villain wants to get. Though the first responders at Radio 9-1-1 are only one small piece to the puzzle.

The puzzles themselves aren’t too difficult and I’d be hard-pressed to say that anything is extremely difficult. Sometimes Killer Frequency necessitates you to listen closely to details said or something in the background. It usually requires you to pay even greater attention to the paper you’ve placed in front of you as well, but all the pieces are given as clear as day. One example has to be the maize maze (it is a midwestern town!) where you are given simple landmarks that are marked on the map, and you work your way around. With no real penalty for dead air, I made sure Eugene wasn’t dead on air too.

I’m not sure what the FCC rules are for KFAM in Gallows Creek, Carlin’s “7 words” have origins from his days in radio after all. Since satellite radio doesn’t come around for another twelve years, we can cross that off, but we’ve got callers swearing up a storm. From a name for a donkey to what you might find falling out of one, for the 3rd of September 1987, “189.16 The Scream” is broadcasting it. I don’t find it objectionable, I just think it might be notable given the setting would suggest otherwise. That and self-reported warnings on Steam only include a note about characters audibly being killed or injured.

If you’re impatient, as a game Killer Frequency isn’t an action-packed thriller that has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Though if you’re happy enough to sit back and enjoy an audio drama with your digital game of throwing balled-up paper into the bin and the occasional exploration of the station, you’ve found a hit. Ultimately, Killer Frequency has enough thrills, puzzles, and chills to keep me in the world, even if I’m desperately missing the ability to run around the station at a pace greater than an O.A.P. Enjoyable, but I don’t know if there is anywhere to go when left wanting more.

A PC review copy of Killer Frequency was provided by Team17 Digital for this review.

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Killer Frequency

$24.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Great balance of hokey, funny, and horror.
• Fantastic aesthetic.
• Great work from the cast.

Cons

• Give me a run button! I have places to go.
• Puzzles can a little simple.