Anthology Of The Killer tackles horror, homicide, art, statehood, and work in a charming hand drawn adventure.
Created by thecatamites of RPGmaker game Space Funeral fame, Anthology Of The Killeris the collection of all nine Of The Killergames. This series follows a young woman and (maga)zine writer/publisher, BB, as she travels in, around, and away from XX city.
The gameplay is simple enough, as you need only the keyboard to move around characters. However the simple mechanics do not impede the enjoyment of the game, and indeed the limited options make the many frantic runs and chases far more horrifying for the player.
The hand drawn, cartoony art of the series gives the game a lively squiggling that serves to create a powerful contrast between the cute, simple characters and the frightening events of the games.
The game’s short soundtrack, composed by Tommy Tone, is efficiently used across the game. It perfectly compliments the game’s events with changes as simple as increasing or decreasing the speed.
Beyond everything else however, is the game’s writing. Primarily a narrative game by the necessity of its few mechanics, Of The Killer manages to weave together questions about various forms of art, from paint to theater to film to, perhaps most evident, video games, and the horror genre present in all of them, alongside a treasure trove of jokes ranging from obscure to the obvious.
Another good mark for the series is that the Anthology Of The Killer includes additional art, magazine, an in-game museum containing notes about the game’s diverse characters, and more.
Overall, Anthology Of The Killer is a wonderful series to dive into as the spookiness of Hallow’s Eve creeps closer. You can buy the collection on Steam and Itch.io.
