Halloween: The Game vs Friday the 13th
Same developer, same publisher, same genre. A sequel in everything but name.
Why these two get compared
Friday the 13th: The Game was developed by IllFonic and published by Gun Media. Halloween: The Game is developed by IllFonic and co-published by Gun Interactive, the same publisher under a new name. Same studio, same publisher, nine years later, on a different slasher licence. If it feels familiar, that is why.
Friday the 13th was delisted after a legal dispute over the rights to the source material, and Steam no longer sells it. That history is behind a lot of the questions people ask about this game's future.
The big change is the single-player story mode. Friday the 13th only ever offered offline bot matches; this game has a full campaign played as Michael.
Side by side
| Halloween | Friday the 13th: The Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | IllFonic | IllFonic, the same studio |
| Publisher | IllFonic Publishing, co-published by Gun Interactive | Gun Media (now Gun Interactive) |
| Format | 1v4 asymmetrical horror | 1v7 asymmetrical horror |
| Single-player | A full story mode: a prologue plus five chapters, played as Michael | Offline bot matches; no narrative campaign |
| Currently on sale | Yes, $39.99 on Steam | No, delisted |
| Character progression | Four progression categories, perk card decks, prestige | Perks and player level |
Which should you play?
You cannot buy Friday the 13th any more, so this is not really a choice between two games. Halloween is the same team's next attempt at the format, with a story mode added and a licence that is not in dispute. If you loved Friday the 13th, this is the closest thing to it you can buy today, and it feels much the same in the hand.
Common questions
- Which is better, Halloween: The Game or Friday the 13th: The Game?
- It depends on what you want from it. Halloween: The Game has a single-player story mode played as Michael on top of its 1v4 multiplayer. You cannot buy Friday the 13th any more, so this is not really a choice between two games.
- Is Halloween: The Game the same kind of game as Friday the 13th: The Game?
- Not quite. Halloween: The Game is 1v4 asymmetrical horror; Friday the 13th: The Game is 1v7 asymmetrical horror. The formats are close enough that the comparison is fair and different enough that they are not substitutes.
- Who made each of them?
- Halloween: The Game is developed by IllFonic. Friday the 13th: The Game is by IllFonic, the same studio.
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