Party Hard – Video Game Review

by | Apr 29, 2016 | Game Reviews, Reviews | 0 comments

party-hardParty Hard
Developer: Pinokl Games
Publisher: tinyBuild
Platforms: PC, PS4, XBox One
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons

Party Hard is a new, downloadable indie game available on all the big gaming platforms. It is a little on the short side, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun, or that there’s not a good bit of replay value to it. It is a strategy puzzle game where you play a guy who just wants to get to sleep. Unfortunately for you, people keep having loud, raucous parties near you in big houses, boats, rooftops, etc. Unfortunately for them, you’re a psychotic murder machine who is cranky with loss of sleep. So you grab your hockey mask, your favorite knife, and head on over to the party to shut it down. Permanently.

Each level is a different party setting, stuffed with people and randomly generated bits that you can use to dispatch the partygoers. Sure you can just walk around stabbing people, but that’s no fun. What is fun is setting traps, poisoning the punch, setting fires in rooms, calling the exterminators to bug bomb the place, electrocuting folks, pushing others into roaring bonfires, getting the horse at the party (???) to kick people to death, and so on. There are also disguises to use, distractions and lures to move your prey into the perfect position, and even dancing. Cleverness and some inventiveness goes a long way here. Further, there are stealth elements, because if the pretty, pretty party people see you kill anyone, or just find some random bloody body, they’re going to call the cops and that has the potential to ruin your party going experience. So a good bit of stalk and slash, picking the where and when you dispatch some drunken frat boy, and then hiding the body before someone discovers it can save you some trouble.

Where the replay value comes form is clearing each party in various ways. Try to do a total stealth run and never be seen killing, or cleaning up the blood. Try wasting everyone with just traps, poison, and environmental kills, or do the reverse and only rely on your trusty knife and nothing more. And since each level can be completed relatively quickly, Party Hard is a great pick up and play game. Don’t have a lot of time but want to get some cyber slaughter in? Had a bad day at work and want to take your frustrations out on pixelated people? Are you a masked maniac yourself and don’t have time to go out and indulge in the real thing? Well Party Hard is there for all of you. Add to that a retro art style and soundtrack, and Party Hard is a fun, fast, and charming game, even if you’re doing horrible things in it. If this sounds like a good time for you, then you may need some professional help. Like me. But you should also give it a download for the platform of your choice. With a meager price tag of less than that of a large pizza (well, a good large pizza), you have nothing to lose. Consider it well recommended for the budding psychopath inside all of us.

About Brian M. Sammons

Brian M. Sammons has penned stories that have appeared in the anthologies: Arkham Tales, Horrors Beyond, Monstrous, Dead but Dreaming 2, Horror for the Holidays, Deepest, Darkest Eden and others. He has edited the books; Cthulhu Unbound 3, Undead & Unbound, Eldritch Chrome, Edge of Sundown, Steampunk Cthulhu, Dark Rites of Cthulhu, Atomic Age Cthulhu, World War Cthulhu and Flesh Like Smoke. He is also the managing editor of Dark Regions Press’ Weird Fiction line. For more about this guy that neighbors describe as “such a nice, quiet man” you can check out his infrequently updated webpage here: http://brian_sammons.webs.com/ and follow him on Twitter @BrianMSammons.

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