We all know the rules of horror movie survival by now. As lovable film nerd Randy Meeks explained in Scream (1996), there are three basic things that may get you killed:
- You may not survive the movie if you have sex.
- You may not survive the movie if you drink or do drugs.
- You may not survive the movie if you say “I’ll be right back”, “Hello?” or “Who’s there?”
The new card game Don’t Get Stabbed takes these rules and combines them with other basic slasher movie tropes, with the end result being an entertainingly fast-paced party game. For those who have played Friday the 13th: The Game and enjoy the gameplay (minus any bugs, of course), there will be no issues diving right in and getting familiar with the rules.
Don’t Get Stabbed is for 3-5 players, with one player taking on the role of the killer. As with any good slasher film, the goal of the victims is to survive and for the killer to, well, kill. As survivors draw from the deck of ACTION cards, they try to escape by trading duplicate picks (called COMBO cards) for cards from a special deck, hoping to spell out C-A-R, which leads them to safety. The ACTION cards can also be useful in the event that survivors get stabbed, as they can use first aid, sabotage another player, and so on. The victim dies after they draw and collect 3 STAB cards. But, wait! It’s not going to be that easy to escape the killer, who can also use their own ACTION cards against survivors. While I initially thought surviving would be simple, out of three rounds, I was sadly stabbed to death every time.
Each round takes roughly 15-20 minutes to play, with the first round taking a bit longer as you go through rules. Although it is catered more towards slasher fans, someone unfamiliar with the films and tropes should have no issues jumping in and having fun.
Along with the gameplay, I also have to mention the packaging. The box features Rookie Mage Games’ adorable custom slasher, who is chasing terrified survivors on the side of the box. Most of the cards feature these same characters in the various cliched situations. It is very cartoony, but still visually effective and appealing for horror fans. Overall, Don’t Get Stabbed is a great card game for lovers of slasher films, and fans of Friday the 13th: The Game.
Don’t Get Stabbed is now available on Amazon.
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