Quick Guide

How to Play Quick Guide:

  • New Game - To start a new game press 'New Game' and follow the instructions to create Chainsaw Warrior. This involves rolling the dice for his different attributes and equipment.
  • Game Progression - Tap or click on the House Card on the left to turn it over. Read the information on the card and the game will automatically offer you choices for the actions you have available via the buttons on the right.
  • Game Aim - The aim of the game is to get through the House Cards until you find the one with Darkness on. Kill him and you win the game. At the start of the game, the cards automatically are divided into two decks. Darkness is randomly placed somewhere in the second deck. Darkness can only be killed with the Laser Lance or the Implosion Vest.

 

Game Terminology

  • Equipment Cards/Points - All of the items, weapons etc that Chainsaw Warrior can use to help him complete his mission. These come in a number of types - HtH Weapons, Guns, Heavy Weapons, Devices and Clothing. These is also the special category for the Laser Lance. Each item has a cost when equipping Chainsaw Warrior.
  • HtH - Hand-to-Hand combat. The higher a HtH score is, the better at Hand-to-Hand combat that item is.
  • House Card - Term for all the game cards taht contain encounters. These can be enemies, traps, item of equipment or building features such as secret passages or a chasm. These are shown in portrait view.
  • Lucky Shot - When you draw or sometimes are wounded in a round of HtH combat, you will be offered the chance to take a Lucky Shot. This gives you the chance to use a Gun or Heavy Weapon against your enemy. Generally a roll of 5 or 6 on a 1D6 is needed to succeed with this move.

 

PC General Gameplay Questions

These are specific questions to aspects of the game:

  • See this amazing user guide for the PC version of the game (but much of it applies to all platforms!)
  • Equipment - There are restrictions of what you can take with you on this mission. You can only carry 13 items maximum, which includes the Laser Lance. You can only have one Gun and one Heavy Weapon at any one time. If you encounter an ammo dump offering a Gun, you can't select another one, only a clip for an existing weapon.
  • Venom and Radiation - Some enemies such as Zombies can infect you with Venom. Others such as Mutant Things can give you a dose of Radiation. If your Venom or Radiation rating reaches the same as your Endurance (bottom bar) then you will die.
  • Escaping the Building - If you lose the Laser Lance, you'll be offered the chance to exit the building and return to base to re-equip it. You can only defeat Darkness with this item or the implosion vest, so if you don't have either you must do this to win the game. When you select this option, you'll be told how many more House Cards you'll need to pass through before you are able to re-equip. You get a roll of Equipment Points and are automatically given the Laser Lance at this point. You can spend the excess points on other items. When you have re-equipped you will have to start at the beginning of the current deck you are on.
  • Killing Darkness - Your main for can only be killed by either Laser Lance or the Implosion Vest. If you kill him with the implosion vest, then you will both die. If you kill him with the Laser Lance then you will win. However, once you enter HtH combat, you will only be able to shoot him with Lucky Shot. Depending on how you perform in HtH, you will get the chance to use the Lucky Shot roll and shoot Darkness with the Laser Lance. If you run out of ammo or the Laser Lance is destroyed during combat, you will be defeated by Darkness.

 

Strategy Guide - Hints and Tips

The game is deliberately a tough one. Expect to die many times before you complete it. If you manage to complete it on Hard (or the classic game mode) then you'll forever be a gaming legend. Here's a few hints and tips if you do find yourself seeing that death screen a bit more than you'd like:

  • Speed Counts! This is a game about getting through the cards as quickly and easily as possible until you find Darkness, so when you have the chance to skip cards - take it! Items like the Rope Launcher when you encounter a Balcony and skills such as Climb on elevators are great for this.
  • Shop Around! If you are playing on Easy or Medium (paying 2 points to see the cards) then there is strategy in what items you should take. Experiment with the load-out, however the Chainsaw is invaluable for combat and some traps. The Rope Launcher is great for the Chasm card and climbing Balconies. Items that stop you loosing equipment are also invaluable: the Heat Detector vs the Lunatic card, the Sonic Amplifier for Cave-ins and Metal Detector for Mines. These are key because losing items in explosions and having them stolen can mean the Laser Lance is gone and you need to exit the building to get a new one.
  • Electric! If you get the magnetic trap that disables your electrical items, then this can be an issue. If in deck one, then push on but if in deck two and you encounter Darkness, then you are in trouble as your Laser Lance won't be working. You might need to wait till it is working again before going on (time dependent!). On this subject, if you are able, making sure you have 1 non-electric weapon is a good call for these situations (such as the knife).
  • Push On! If you do lose your Laser Lance and you are close to the end of the first deck, then push onto to deck two before you opt to exit the building as when you return from re-equipping you start at the beginning of whatever deck you are on.
  • Ammo Check! Keep your ammo for when you need it. Zombies are often better dealt with via HtH. You need to make sure you have ammo for some enemies that cause serious problems - such as the Suicide Chaos Agent who can destroy equipment and mean you have to exit the building.
  • C.A.T.S.! The Laser Lance is the most powerful weapon and the one you need to kill Darkness. Fitting C.A.T.S. to it makes that job a bit easier. You should also get a spare clip for this when you hit an ammo dump. That way you can also use it on other deadly foes - the Slime and Meat Machine being prime candidates. However putting lots of resources into the Laser Lance means if you lose it, you have lost the clip and C.A.T.S. - so try to protect it (see above is Shop Around!)
  • Button Watch! When you are on a roll, the temptation is to forge ahead, but watch the buttons on the right as you progress. They change to the context of the game and your equipment, so if warned via the radiation or skull symbol, then use the item to avoid the danger. If you get the chance to hide or climb - take it!

If you have other suggestions, do share them with us and your fellow gamers via emailling us or via Facebook, Twitter or Steam and we'll add the best ones to this list!

Thanks and good luck playing the game – you’ll need it!