Chainsaw Warrior

About

"Chainsaw Warrior" is a single-player Turn Based Strategy game, based on the classic board game, that offers around 10 hours of playtime. Players have 60 minutes to navigate a dangerous labyrinth in an abandoned urban slum in New York, represented by cards, and kill the entity Darkness before it destroys the city. The game features pretty visuals and intense action with a nail-biting atmosphere, providing a challenging and immersive experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 173 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Faithful adaptation of the classic 1987 board game, capturing its challenging and punishing nature.
Fast-paced gameplay with a unique blend of card drawing and dice rolling, providing a sense of tension and excitement.
Great for short sessions, offering replayability due to the randomness of encounters and character creation.

Heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating experiences where bad rolls can result in instant failure.
Limited player agency, with most decisions feeling inconsequential compared to the luck of the dice.
Repetitive gameplay can become tedious, with little variation in encounters and a lack of meaningful strategy.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay is characterized by a heavy reliance on luck, primarily through dice rolls and card draws, which can lead to frustratingly unpredictable outcomes. While some players appreciate the simplicity and challenge, noting that it can be fun and engaging, others criticize the mechanics for being overly punishing and lacking depth. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable moments and significant frustration, appealing mainly to those who enjoy high-stakes, luck-based gameplay.
- “I was very surprised (pleasantly so!) at just how faithful it was to the original game mechanics and artwork.”
- “Cheap price and fun gameplay if you don't mind a game that involves a certain amount of luck and trial and error, especially on the hard game mode.”
- “I highly recommend this game for its fast-paced action, simple mechanics, and sadistic sense of difficulty.”
- “A literal inherent flaw in the mechanics.”
- “If you are into harshly punishing games, where you have very little impact on the gameplay, this might be for you.”
- “The entire point of the game seems to be 'look how hard we can make this luck-based game!' decent premise and initial gameplay, but then it turns all dark souls on you, except without the part where skill helps.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic 80s aesthetic, featuring well-executed artwork that captures the cheesy sci-fi theme, though it lacks advanced animations and complex visuals. While some players appreciate the faithful recreation of the original game's art style, others find the overall graphical presentation basic and simplistic. The game's charm lies in its retro vibe and straightforward interface, making it suitable for fans of tabletop card games, despite its minimalistic approach to graphics.
- “A fast-paced, fun card and dice game with a cheesy sci-fi theme, excellent artwork, and a rocking soundtrack.”
- “Fantastic little game that really can suck you in - great atmosphere, super-cheesy plot about saving New York from a horde of monsters out of this world, nice visuals and sound.”
- “And on top of all that, the art style and general aesthetics are just the right kind of schlock 80's cyberpunk, mixing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoonery with authentically disturbing monster design.”
- “Graphics are basic as you might imagine, the interface is very simple and straightforward.”
- “There is no graphics to speak of.”
- “Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of board games and I do not mind minimal graphical presentation but this game is shallow and very boring at best.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The story of "Chainsaw Warrior" is a humorous homage to 1980s action films, particularly echoing the themes of John Carpenter's "Escape from New York," where players assume the role of a lone warrior battling against monstrous foes in a race against time. While the premise of saving New York from otherworldly creatures is engaging, many reviewers found the execution lacking, with minimal narrative depth beyond the initial setup and a reliance on slapstick humor. Overall, the story is seen as underwhelming, failing to fully capitalize on its intriguing setting and potential for a more compelling experience.
- “Chainsaw Warrior is a slapstick 1980's story that leans heavily into the plot of John Carpenter's Escape from New York and sets up a lone warrior against the world scenario with a countdown timer.”
- “My funny little story from the game revolves around me suddenly being unable to break down a door with a chainsaw, and I end up spending the last 1:30 minutes trying to hack a door before the world is engulfed by darkness.”
- “Story - *spoilers* it is centered around the Chainsaw Warrior *you*, trying to save the world from creatures that came from another universe by a portal.”
- “Low amount of animations, no story beyond the opening comic part.”
- “The story was weaksauce, the art was lackluster, the gameplay was near non-existent.”
- “Read the store page to discover the backstory to the game, though it's basically Escape from New York with zombies.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed. Some players appreciate the game's heavy reliance on RNG and challenging difficulty, which enhances replay value and keeps the experience fresh, while others feel that once certain achievements are unlocked, the game loses its appeal and replayability diminishes significantly. Despite these differing views, many agree that the game offers substantial replayability for its low price, particularly for those who enjoy overcoming its challenges.
- “I find the heavy emphasis on RNG gives the game more replayability.”
- “The danger makes every step tense, the scarcity of supplies makes progress perversely exciting, and sheer randomness makes it compulsively replayable in the same way that slots, pachinko, and opening CS crates are.”
- “Its a simple game at its core, but it has excellent replayability due to its hard difficulty curve and random encounters/events.”
- “The danger makes every step tense, the paucity of supplies makes progress perversely exciting, and sheer randomness makes it compulsively replayable in the same way that slots, pachinko, and opening CS crates are.”
- “I do not feel the game has much in the way of replay value, however, and for me that is a pretty big negative.”
- “With no replayability.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the atmospheric and engaging soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, others find it repetitive and uninspired. Despite its low production quality, the music can effectively heighten tension during critical moments, making it a notable aspect of the overall experience.
- “A fast-paced, fun card and dice game with a cheesy sci-fi theme, excellent artwork, and a rocking soundtrack.”
- “The music is quite enjoyable as well.”
- “No matter how you play, every game will be on the razor's edge between success and failure, and those moments where your chainsaw warrior is desperately scrambling through the second deck, with the music ramping up, beating chaos cultists to death with his bare hands after losing his powerfist to a maniac, and demolishing whole rooms with explosives to save those precious few minutes left before the darkness takes over, make the game entirely worth the five-dollar price.”
- “The music is boring and repetitive, and the art is uninspired.”
- “But it's cheap and you can throw on some music from Thomas Barrandon in the background to enhance the experience.”
- “No matter how you play, every game will be on the razor's edge between success and failure, and those moments where your chainsaw warrior is desperately scrambling through the second deck, with the music ramping up, beating chaos cultists to death with his bare hands after losing his powerfist to a maniac, and demolishing whole rooms with explosives to save those precious few minutes left before the darkness takes a big-ol' warp-infused shit all over Manhattan, make the game entirely worth the five-dollar price.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive qualities, featuring atmospheric music, engaging combat effects, and appealing visuals that enhance the old-school monstrous setting. Reviewers note that it effectively captures a nostalgic vibe reminiscent of 80s tabletop games, despite its cheesy plot. Overall, the combination of sound and visuals creates a captivating experience that draws players in.
- “Fantastic little game that really can suck you in - great atmosphere, super-cheesy plot about saving New York from a horde of monsters out of this world, nice visuals and sound (keep in mind though, this is a recreation of an 80's tabletop card/dice game).”
- “Great atmosphere and visuals.”
- “Old-school monstrous setting, dark atmosphere.”
- “The old-school monstrous setting creates a dark atmosphere that feels oppressive.”
- “The atmosphere lacks depth, making the world feel empty and uninspired.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere falls flat and fails to engage.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its absurdly challenging mechanics and the unexpected failures players encounter, leading to moments of frustration that are often laugh-out-loud funny. Players find amusement in the game's unfairness and the nostalgic nod to its 80s design, creating a blend of irritation and hilarity as they navigate its punishing systems.
- “My funny little story from the game revolves around me suddenly being unable to break down a door with a chainsaw, and I end up spending the last 1:30 minutes trying to hack a door before the world is engulfed by darkness.”
- “The most 'fun' I've had with this game so far is observing the small piece of 'game design history' the game represents (mind you, the game rules were developed in the mid-80s) and generally laughing at the complete unfairness of the game system.”
- “It's ridiculously hard; even on easy difficulty, the entire mechanic of the game is there to screw you over. It's fun but irritating, frustrating, and sometimes downright hilarious when it all goes wrong in just a few turns (especially when you've had some really lucky rolls while creating your character's stats).”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game can become tedious after a few hours, leading to a sense of monotony.
- “Grinding can become tedious after a while.”
- “After a couple of hours, it can get really tedious.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users highlight that the emotional aspect of the game is intertwined with the rewards system, suggesting that both financial and emotional incentives play a significant role in enhancing the overall experience.
- “The game evokes a deep emotional response, making players feel connected to the characters and their journeys.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative truly sets this game apart, allowing players to explore complex feelings and relationships.”