PAX East 2024 marks the first time that Illfonic’s Killer Klowns From Outer Space game is playable by the public. I stopped by the carnival-themed booth to go hands-on with the new asymmetrical horror game, getting a taste for all of its absurd wackiness and twists on the formula.

Illfonic has clearly emerged as the asymmetrical multiplayer veterans, and that experience is evident in every aspect of Killer Klowns. Based on the cult classic movie, KKFOS sees a team of humans trying to escape from bloodthirsty Klowns from another planet. I played a Klown, using a ray gun and popcorn blaster to take down enemies.

While the popcorn blaster would stick kernels to humans, marking their location for my team, the ray gun would build up a status effect that eventually turned them into a massive cone of cotton candy. From here, I was tasked with delivering the cone to one of several hook stations on the map. I could take it there myself, or hand it off to some NPC grunts to handle. The humans could save their allies by freeing them from the hook station before they could be permanently killed.

Both sides grow in strength over the course of a match. Klowns will unlock new skills, such as a balloon dog that locates enemies and an ability that provides a temporary boost to speed, health, and damage. Humans on the other hand gain access to an arsenal of weapons that can be used to incapacitate or even kill Klowns. In one instance, a player stunned and then killed me with a melee weapon while their allies escaped on a boat.

Should the match run long enough (my game was 15 minutes), a Klownpocalypse will trigger. This world-ending event sends a colorful explosion through the map, killing any remaining humans.

Speaking with the Illfonic team, it was clear that Killer Klowns is the studio’s main focus. With post-launch content wrapped on Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, there are several rounds of DLC planned for Killer Klowns From Outer Space. The game is set to launch on June 4 for PC and consoles.