Square Enix and Tactic Studios have kicked off beta testing for Killer Inn, a 24-player social deduction murderfest where players are either trying to escape a trap-filled mansion—or make sure no one does. Think Among Us meets The Most Dangerous Game, but with pistols, perk builds, and enough chaotic energy to ruin your friendships.
Unveiled during Square Enix’s latest showcase, Killer Inn pits players against each other in a bloody mansion scenario. Every match assigns roles: the majority play as “Lambs,” working together to escape the estate alive, while a hidden few are “Wolves” tasked with taking them out, either quietly or guns blazing. It’s a familiar setup if you’ve played Werewolf, The Ship, or Trouble in Terrorist Town, but Killer Inn adds third-person combat, RPG-lite mechanics, and a clue system that turns every corpse into a crime scene.
Players explore the estate to loot weapons, healing items, armor, and even traps—because nothing says “trust me” like setting an explosive by the bar. When someone dies, they leave behind physical evidence: a fingerprint, a piece of clothing, or a hair that can be examined to ID the killer. That’s assuming the Wolves haven’t wiped the scene clean first. There’s no voting phase—just pure paranoia, real-time deduction, and the occasional stone statue punishment for Lambs who guess wrong and kill one of their own.
The goal for Lambs is simple: survive long enough to collect four keys guarded by floating orbs (yes, really), unlock the gate, and make it to the schooner waiting offshore. Or just kill all the Wolves. Either works. The Wolves win by eliminating every Lamb before they’re outed. Proximity chat, a full RPG-style gear system, and NPC vendors round out the gameplay loop, which looks more action-heavy than most games in the genre.
Tactic Studios, best known for Claire de Lune, is heading up development. Square Enix says the game will feature multiple characters with unique passive perks, customizable builds, and environmental puzzles to add variety beyond just stabbing and shooting. So far, the vibe leans more ridiculous thriller than grim horror—think a giant murder mansion full of cosplayers, gamers, pirates, and suspiciously well-armed business execs.
No release date has been announced, but a closed beta is already underway for select players. Whether Killer Inn can pull together the twitchy chaos of a shooter with the long-game psychology of a good social deduction title remains to be seen—but it’s definitely not lacking in ambition. Or corpses.
