When licenses are involved, it is a shame. Games are at the restrictive control of that license staying in place. That is the reason Friday the 13t:h Killer Puzzle is now free on Steam. The publisher has been unsuccessful in extending the license. Therefore, the game will be pulled from Steam, and presumably other digital marketplaces, on January 23rd, when the current license becomes null and void.
What is a “killer puzzle”?
While Friday the 13th Killer Puzzle was always free on PC and mobile platforms, it was a paid release on consoles. Monetization on PC and mobile involved buying skins or removing ads (mobile only). While never a Top 10 release, this puzzle game was unique, one of the few games that put you in control of the villain.
Moving around the isometric levels, your goal is to guide Jason into position to kill the characters. When you capture one, there is a meter, not unlike old golf simulators and their “golf swing” meter. Get the pointer in the “kill zone” and you get a cinematic, sometime gruesome but pixelated, kill.
Levels have obstacles and items that can help Jason in his quest for blood. You are also able to scare your prey into new areas so they are easier to kill.
Leaving Steam
It is sad when games are no longer available. Back in the day, it was fear of going to your favorite game store and seeing the game you want was sold out. Then repeating this over several stores.
In today’s world, games are often released as digital only affairs, negating the chance the game is out of stock. Sadly, that brings up companies having to pull their games from these digital platforms. Something that can be done at the touch of a button.
Blue Wizard Digital claims they were unable to renew the license for Friday the 13th Killer Puzzle.
"Today we have to make a sad announcement: We were unable to renew the license for Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle with the licensors and have been required to wind down all future sales of the game later this month," reads said statement. "We have been assured by all platforms that players who have already downloaded / purchased the game and made in-app purchases within the game will continue to have access to the content they paid for in perpetuity. The game will be coming down from the storefronts across all platforms on January 23rd, 2023."
The good news is, if you add Friday the 13th Killer Puzzle to your Steam library, or have it in your library on another platform, you have it. It is not being taken away, this includes and DLC you may have purchased.
The bad news is, you have till January 23rd 2023 to get it added, and purchase any DLC you want.
In closing, Blue Wizard’s statement had this to say,
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment this causes. It is a truly sad situation and all of us at Blue Wizard are absolutely crushed as well-F13: Killer Puzzle is a game we are so incredibly proud of. Thank you for your support over the years, and stay tuned to BlueWizard.com for future updates. Also don't forget we still proudly offer the Overwhelmingly Positive rated Horror-Puzzle game that started it all: Slayaway Camp!"
My personal opinion
Free is free but with Friday the 13th Killer Puzzle, I was not impressed. I am just not a fan of this style puzzle game. While I am a fan of the movies and character of Jason, I am not a fan of that content being paired with this art style. It just doesn’t gel for me.
What do you think? Are you grabbing this before they remove it? Let me know in the comments below.
Source: Comicbook.com