Inside Indie Horror: Review 3 KILLRUN
Speed, skill and one seriously addictive challenge.
Welcome back to my Inside Indie Horror series celebrating the creativity, innovation and talent behind some fantastic independent games.
This week I'm taking a look at KILLRUN from BULKHEAD.
It's been a little while since my last review, but this one was well worth the wait.
KILLRUN pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin. You run, you master the mechanics and, above all, you challenge yourself to improve every single attempt.
Sounds simple.
It definitely isn't.
Learning the game
One of the biggest surprises for me was just how well the tutorial is put together.
How often do you jump into a new game, spend the first hour running around wondering what you're supposed to be doing?
KILLRUN takes the opposite approach.
The tutorial is split into two clear sections, one focused on movement and the other on combat practice, giving you the opportunity to properly understand each mechanic before throwing you into the real challenge.
For me, this immediately elevated the experience and made learning the game genuinely enjoyable rather than frustrating.
Movement mechanics
The movement tutorial was probably my favourite part.
With tutorial videos alongside each challenge, I quickly understood mechanics like wall running and movement chaining.
Now, full disclaimer...
I'm definitely more of a console player than a keyboard-and-mouse expert, so I probably made life harder for myself than necessary! I'm sure experienced PC players will pick these mechanics up much faster than I did.
Practice makes perfect
Once the tutorials were complete, it was time for the real challenge.
My first few attempts weren't exactly setting any speed records.
Thankfully, the lessons from the tutorial quickly started paying off and I could feel myself improving with every run.
And just to be clear, any questionable performances were entirely down to me rather than the game!
Once everything began to click, wall running, movement combinations and maintaining momentum became incredibly satisfying. It genuinely reminded me why fast-paced movement systems are so much fun to master.
Built for improvement
Another feature I really appreciated was the game's training areas.
They give you unlimited opportunities to experiment with different mechanics, refine your movement and build confidence before jumping into more difficult challenges.
Don't be fooled though.
What starts as a comfortable learning environment soon becomes surprisingly demanding, especially if you decide to increase the difficulty.
Some of the later tutorial challenges were among the toughest I've played, but they were also incredibly rewarding to complete.
Fast, frantic and rewarding
One thing KILLRUN does brilliantly is constantly changing the pace.
Just when you think you've got everything under control, new mechanics and faster gameplay demand even quicker reactions.
Blink and you've missed your opportunity.
Blink again and you've probably missed another.
Eventually everything begins to fall into rhythm, but getting there is half the fun.
I also loved the performance statistics after each session. They gave me plenty of motivation to keep improving... although we'll quietly ignore some of my earlier scores!
Final thoughts
There's so much more I'd love to talk about, but I don't want to spoil the experience.
What I will say is this.
Please support games like KILLRUN.
Independent studios continue to create some incredibly original experiences and deserve recognition for taking creative risks and trying something different.
If you're looking for a game that rewards practice, celebrates movement and constantly encourages you to improve, KILLRUN is well worth checking out.
And if this is anything to go by, I'm even more excited to see what BULKHEAD has planned with WARDOGS.
Jonathan! 🎮 👾
Studio spotlight: BULKHEAD
Founded in Derby, UK, BULKHEAD has earned a strong reputation for creating ambitious multiplayer experiences that combine technical innovation with fast-paced gameplay.
The studio first gained recognition with Battalion 1944, before continuing to expand its expertise through projects such as The Turing Test, KILLRUN, and the upcoming WARDOGS.
Known for its focus on responsive gameplay, community engagement and continually refining its ideas through player feedback, BULKHEAD has become one of the UK's most exciting independent game studios. With WARDOGS on the horizon, the studio continues to demonstrate its commitment to pushing movement systems, multiplayer experiences and technical creativity forward.
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