If you’ve ever wanted to spend a weekend in a cursed castle getting hunted by strangers on the internet, Square Enix has you covered. KILLER INN, a new multiplayer murder‑mystery action game from Tactic Studios and Square Enix, is running a final “Free Stay Weekend” on Steam ahead of its Early Access launch this month.
Key Takeaways
- Set in a: creepy old castle where 24 players are split into sneaky Wolves and suspicious Lambs, KILLER INN has been quietly building buzz through Closed Beta Tests, and this is the last chance to jump in for free before it starts charging.
- To kick things: off, the dev team is also hosting a live talk on the official KILLER INN Discord, scheduled for Friday, Feb 6 at 3:00 a.m.
- KILLER INN leans: into that 90s‑era “whodunnit” TV energy: think late‑night mystery dramas and party games where you stare your friends down across the room trying to work out who’s lying.
Free Stay Weekend dates and times
Set in a creepy old castle where 24 players are split into sneaky Wolves and suspicious Lambs, KILLER INN has been quietly building buzz through Closed Beta Tests, and this is the last chance to jump in for free before it starts charging.
- Free Stay Weekend runs from Friday, Feb 6 at 10:00 p.m. GMT / Saturday, Feb 7 at 9:00 a.m. AEDT until Monday, Feb 9 at 9:59 p.m. GMT / Tuesday, Feb 10 at 8:59 a.m. AEDT on Steam.
- Early Access goes live on Feb 12 at 5:00 p.m. GMT / Feb 13 at 4:00 a.m. AEDT.
- Anyone who jumps in during the Free Stay Weekend (or played in earlier Closed Betas) gets a special weapon skin and nameplate banner when Early Access launches.
To kick things off, the dev team is also hosting a live talk on the official KILLER INN Discord, scheduled for Friday, Feb 6 at 3:00 a.m. GMT / 2:00 p.m. AEDT.
How the “lambs vs wolves” setup works
KILLER INN leans into that 90s‑era “whodunnit” TV energy: think late‑night mystery dramas and party games where you stare your friends down across the room trying to work out who’s lying.
- 24 players are invited by a shadowy organisation called Astra to a mysterious castle with the promise of ridiculous riches.
- Players are secretly assigned as Wolves or Lambs; Wolves hunt and kill, while Lambs try to survive, fight back, or escape.
- Wolves have to blend in with the crowd, taking out victims one by one, while Lambs collect clues like hair, fingerprints and clothing left at murder scenes to narrow down suspects.
- By the end of the night, everyone will either kill, be killed, or make it out alive.
It’s pitched as a battle between detectives and murderers, with killers hiding in plain sight and players forced to question even their closest “allies” in the lobby.
Modes, maps and characters at launch
From the start of Early Access, there’s already a decent chunk of content lined up, which should help the game feel more like a proper late‑night session and less like a barebones test.
- Playable characters: You can unlock a total of 27 characters through gameplay, each with two unique abilities, or unlock them instantly with optional in‑game purchases.
- Four modes: Tutorial (guided rules walkthrough), Training (single‑player map run‑around), Casual (24‑player online matches) and Custom (bring your own group, recommended for 8–9 players or more).
- Maps: Two castle wings are available at launch – Lunum Wing and Solarium Wing.
The dev team plans to iterate during Early Access, actively taking player feedback before the full release, so this period is meant to shape balance and features rather than just act as an extended demo.
Editions, pricing and what you get
When Early Access opens on Steam, KILLER INN will be available in two main editions, both launching with limited‑time discounts.
- Standard Edition – Includes the base game at an Early Access price of AUD$14.95, with an additional 10% discount for the first two weeks before settling at the regular AUD$14.95.
- Special Supporter Edition – Priced at AUD$44.95 with a 10% discount for the first two weeks, this version adds two extra playable characters (Bibi the Sleuth and LOVE the Serial Killer), four Eclipse Archive Series skins (Club, Battle Axe, SMG, Body Armor) and advanced custom lobby rule‑editing features coming in a future update, while basic lobby options are available to all players from day one.
Why this might hit 90s‑kid nerves
On paper, KILLER INN sits somewhere between classic social deduction games and the kind of VHS‑era mystery dramas that used to run way too late on weeknights. The wolves‑and‑lambs framing, the old castle setting, and the emphasis on collecting physical clues like hair and fingerprints all feel like a modern spin on that “dial into the crime hotline” vibe that 90s TV loved.
For a90skid.com readers, the hook is less “another online multiplayer” and more “what if those moody mansion whodunnits you fell asleep to on the couch became a full‑blown online slasher board game?” With Square Enix and TBS GAMES teaming up on a brand‑new IP and leaning on community feedback during Early Access, KILLER INN could quietly become the go‑to “everyone pile into Discord and accuse each other of murder” game for your friend group.
If you want to check in early, you can wishlist or join via the official site and Steam page, and then snag that final free stay before the castle doors close and the Early Access meter starts ticking.
