Games
Mixtape Massacre: Escape from Tall Oaks Review: Tabletop Board Game, But Make It Horror
If you love slashers, 1980s pop culture nostalgia, and board games, Mixtape Massacre (available here) is for you. The series began with a Kickstarter campaign that collected over $26,000 back in 2015 to fund the first board game. Five years later, after another successful campaign, Mixtape Massacre: Escape from Tall Oaks was confirmed. In the near future, as in sometime in early 2022, the latest installment of the game, the Director’s Cut, will be shipped out to Kickstarter supporters. We love to see successful indie efforts. This article will focus on Escape from Tall Oaks.
With a minimum estimated playtime of 45 minutes, the game isn’t too long, and it is pretty easy to pick up. The rules are straightforward enough, though the rulebook can be a bit intimidating at 13 large, information-packed pages. Essentially, you and one to five others play as teenagers trying to survive the onslaught of three killers. Each teenager has their own special ability, such as Derrick with his extra Defense point on every roll. You move across the board with two standard six-sided dice, but the outcomes of your turns are decided by three action dice. The goal, at first, is to collect Scene Markers/Rescue Tokens, which will allow you to try to complete Tasks once you have five of them. Watch out for attacks on your health and the level of the noise meter, though! When the noise meter is full, the active player must face off with the killer. If you are lucky enough to complete all your objectives, you have a chance of escaping. But only one teenager can get out of Tall Oaks. All, however, can die. It’s difficult to lay out all the aspects of the game in one paragraph, but that’s the gist of it. As with most board games, forgetting a rule here or there won’t destroy the experience.
The gameplay itself is smooth. It is particularly interesting that, for most of the game, everyone works together to keep the noise down, rescue survivors, and kill the slashers. But once the escape route appears . . . all that camaraderie is out the window. There’s also an option to get into “Scuffles” when two players land on the same space, though, which results in the losing player losing health and giving one Rescue Token to the winner. If you’re feeling nasty and competitive, this is a good way to burn some in-game bridges.
As expected in a game inspired by ‘80s slasher flicks, there are plenty of nods to the genre and its tropes. Each Killer Scenes, Dude card reveals the event that happens in your character’s location. They are usually either calls to attempt rescues or cards that immediately summon the killer. Some great rescue scenes include “Time to Chop the Salad!” featuring killer plants, “Put that Damn Thing Away!” with a Ouija Board, and “Why Are You Running towards the Woods?” which is pretty self-explanatory. One of my favorites is a reference to Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) on one card that shows a clawed hand reaching out of a bathtub.
The aesthetic of Mixtape Massacre: Escape from Tall Oaks is delightful. The backs of the various cards show relics from the ‘80s. There are VHS tapes with the bright green HORROR sticker on them, cassette tapes, and marble notebooks. The Final Scenes, Dude cards have a video rental sticker on them as well. Instead of “Be Kind and Rewind,” they read, “Rewind or Die!” The Scene Markers/Rescue Tokens are also great, with images of Rubik’s Cubes, red-and-blue 3D glasses, red plastic cups, and roller skates. Of course, there’s a splatter of blood across most items too.
There are currently two base games of Mixtape Massacre, and the boards can be combined to make a larger map. Additionally, there are four expansion packs, and, as stated in the first paragraph, the preorder for the Director’s Cut will be coming to Kickstarter supporters soon. There are enough twists to keep the replay factor high, and playing with different groups of people is always amusing. Horror junkies and scaredy cats alike can enjoy Mixtape Massacre. I thoroughly enjoy the game, and I’m looking forward to playing the expansions as they come. Have you played Mixtape Massacre or its sequel? Did you back the Director’s Cut? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Games
“What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie?” Scream The Game GIVEAWAY
Are you a die-hard fan of the iconic Scream franchise? Do you know every detail about Ghostface, Sidney Prescott, and the events in Woodsboro? Now that Scream 7 has officially landed its director (Christopher Landon), and Funko Games has released their Scream game we’ve decided to do a small giveaway.
Are you a die-hard fan of the iconic Scream franchise? Do you know every detail about Ghostface, Sidney Prescott, and the events in Woodsboro?
Now that Scream 7 has officially landed its director (Christopher Landon), and Funko Games has released their Scream game we’ve decided to do a small giveaway.
Would You Like to Play a Game?
Starting August 4th we’ll be giving away two copies of Funko’s Scream The Game… With some extras…
One lucky winner will be pulled from our Instagram, and another will be picked from our Facebook Fan Group.
How can you enter on Facebook?
Step 1. Make sure to join OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
Step 2. LIKE AND SHARE the giveaway post!
Step 3. Tag a friend who would play the horror movie expert in a Scream movie.
For a second chance at winning, make sure you enter on Instagram too!
So how can you enter on Instagram?
Step 1. Make sure to FOLLOW OUR ACCOUNT!
Step 2. LIKE the giveaway post!
Step 3. Tag a friend who would play the horror movie expert in a Scream movie.
The winner will be announced on August 11th and will be notified via social media. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, we will randomly select another winner.
I Don’t Need Friends. I Need Fans.
So what are you waiting for? Head over to our FB Group/Instagram page, like our post, follow our page, and tag a friend for your chance to win your copy Scream The Game!
Good luck, and stay spooky!
**Contest entries are limited to addresses in the United States.**
The 1974 classic is coming back swinging in a new way. Here’s what players should expect ahead of the game’s release!
The recent death sentence for Friday the 13th: The Game still wears on horror fans’ shoulders, but a new slasher legend is coming to pick up the slack. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the latest fresh meat in the co-op, player-versus-player gaming subgenre, joining the likes of tried-and-true Dead by Daylight and becoming the third piece of media in the TCM franchise to share the original film’s name.
Want a crash course on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? We have you covered!
An Assortment of Playable Victims
TCM is a multiplayer combat game following a group of college students who end up in a life-or-death chase against the now-called Slaughter family. Players can choose to be a victim (one of five characters original to the game) or a killer protecting the Slaughter’s farm. The gameplay itself will be an asymmetrical experience, with three killers pitted against four victims in every round.
The victim characters are grounded not only in classic horror archetypes and gameplay styles but also a narrative plucked straight from the fields of ‘70s Texas. Maria, a burgeoning art student ready to break away from her rural upbringing and attend university, goes missing during sunflower season in the Lone Star State. Her sister, Ana, and her friends Leland, Sunny, Julie, and Connie, head out to bring Maria home, dissatisfied by the fruitless efforts of local police.
Returning Killers, Plus Two New Family Members
On the other side of the fence, the Slaughter family features Leatherface, the Cook, and the Hitchhiker, along with two new family members named Sissy and Johnny. Sissy embodies a cult-obsessed ‘60s chick gone bad, while Johnny is a handsome, serial killer-inspired misfit. Even Leatherface’s beloved chainsaw was treated as a member of the family by developers, designed to evoke the sinister foreboding edge that comes with the TCM name.
Despite their unfamiliarity to fans, these new Slaughter siblings come straight from the brain of Kim Henkel, the co-writer of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), along with Tobe Hooper. This authenticity is at the heart of the game. Wes Keltner, President and CEO of Gun Interactive, said it best: “If you don’t have that voice in the mix, something’s missing.”
An Authentically Licensed Texas Chain Saw Massacre Experience
It’s important to note that Gun Interactive only scored licensing rights to the 1974 film, so gamers shouldn’t expect cameos from Chop Top, Stretch, or anyone else from the rest of the franchise. Even so, this roster is impressive on its own, featuring the legendary Kane Hodder as Leatherface (and stunt coordinator) and Edwin Neal reprising his role as the Hitchhiker from the original. Check out some fun behind-the-scenes of the cast killing each other in motion capture suits here.
Whether you have played Dead by Daylight since 2016 or love the thrilling discomfort of the TCM films, this new installment to the franchise seems worth checking out.
See if you can make it out of the Slaughter house alive!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will be released on August 18 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, along with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. Score it for $39.99 at launch or get 10% off on Steam if you preorder.
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