The Texas Chain Saw Massacre News

We are very excited to share more details about our newest addition to the Victim roster, Virginia. Barbara Crampton, horror legend and icon, will be voicing Virginia, and her character will also have her likeness!

Virginia is a grief-stricken mother who cannot get over the disappearance of her son Jesse. She’s obsessive over his vanishing and refuses to believe that he could be gone. The weight of her pain is so immense she leaves behind her nursing career to move to Newt, TX, the last location Jesse was seen. Out of determination and desperation, she travels alone to remote areas in hopes of finding him. She even goes so far as to talk to anyone who could possibly have information on Jesse’s whereabouts. This eventually leads to Virginia spotting some unusual behavior near a remote farmhouse. With hope in her heart that she’ll find Jesse, her investigation of the property leads to her tragic run-in with The Family. Captured and trapped in a different kind of nightmare, Virginia will use her vast knowledge of homemade remedies to escape.



Virginia’s time as a nurse allows her to see Sissy’s flower powder and make special concoctions that she can use to possibly save her own life. With this mixture, she can throw it directly at a Family member to create a blue cloud that temporarily blinds them. This will buy Virginia and the other Victims time to run away and possibly live to see another day. Her special ability, Boon, can also be used to contaminate blood buckets on the property. If a Family member gathers blood from one of these buckets, they will be disoriented for a short amount of time.



With Barabara Crampton loving The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as much as we do at Gun Interactive, working on Virginia has been a rewarding creative endeavor for all of us.

“Gunnar Hansen was my friend so it’s been a great experience to keep the wonderful legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre going with my inclusion in this game. Working with all the folks at GUN on my new DLC character has been a remarkable experience! They are among the best in the business. I’m so proud of what they have created and excited for everyone to see all the new stuff!”
- Barbara Crampton, Actor, Producer

We still have so much more to share about Virginia; so, stay tuned to our official subreddit, r/TXChainSawGame, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The following notes are for our upcoming, February 6th, 2024 patch. It has begun to rolling out.

The patch will address the following issues:

PATCH NOTES

Fixed: Various Issues where Victims are Stuck in Incapacitation Animation
-We’ve fixed an issue where Victims who were hit by a Family member while going down a ladder would get stuck in the incapacitation animation
- We have also fixed an issue where Victims who were incapacitated by Leatherface’s thrust in a gap would also get stuck in the incapacitation animation

• Victims were able to still move around while being stuck in the animation
  
• For incapacitated female Victims this occurred too, their teammates could only see them in the spot where they got incapacitated making their movements invisible to other players
  

Fixed: Texture Issues on Nancy’s House
- There was an issue where textures would appear black or unnatural in the Front Garden flower beds
- This has been fixed

Fixed: Missing Notification for Basement Fuse Door Closing
- We have fixed a problem where if a Family member closed the Basement Fuse Door or if it automatically closed, the Basement Fuse Door would not show that it was closing to both Family and Victim players
- Now, a notification is shown when the Basement Fuse Door closes

Fixed: Jack in the Box perk Activating Too Soon
- The Jack in the Box perk would activate when Victim players where in the animation state for exiting a hiding spot
- This meant that most of the perks duration was occurring during the animation
- This has been fixed to so the Jack in the Box perk activates after the exit animation

Fixed: Incorrect Values for Leveled Up Perks and Abilities
- We have fixed a visual UI bug that did not show the correct XP gained on Perks and Abilities during the post-game result screen
- This issue only occurred when skipping the results screen

Fixed: Two of the Same Grandpa Perks in Nancy’s Skill Tree
- We fixed an issue where Nancy had 2 of the same Grandpa perk (Barge to the Point) in her skill tree
- Now, she no longer has Barge to the Point in her skill tree twice

Fixed: Nancy’s Spy Ability Exploit
- Nancy’s spy ability would not drain and be used indefinitely nor would it notify Victims if the Nancy player would slam a door and walk through it
- This exploit is now fixed

Fixed: UI Bug Showing 0/0 XP and -1 Ability in Load Outs
- Some players were still experiencing the issue where their ability level was showing -1 or 0/0 XP
- This has now been fixed

Fixed: Typo in Nancy’s Character Bio
- We have fixed a typo in Nancy’s character bio
- The typo was “she’s been married 3 three times”
- Now it will read as “she’s been married 3 times”

Fixed: Slippery on Danny’s Perk Tree
- We have fixed the issue where the perk Slippery was not on Danny’s Perk Tree
- Slippery can now be unlocked on Danny’s perk tree through a random perk node

Fixed: Skill Points Not Refunding
- A fix has been added so that skill points used on a purchased DLC character will be refunded to a player if they return their DLC purchase

Fixed: Ladder Lacking Collison on Nancy’s House
- We have fixed an issue with a ladder in the Cold Room on Nancy’s House that lacked collision

Fixed: Profile Prompt Non-Function in Player List
- We fixed an issue where a player’s profile was not visible when using the ‘profile’ prompt in the player list menu
- Players will now be able to open another players profile from the player list

Fixed: Character Swap Lobby Crashes
- A fix has occurred for lobby crashes because the sender of a character swap request has either hit ready or quits the lobby before the receiver accepts the request
- The lobby will now remain functional

Fixed: Nancy’s Collecting Poison Animation
- We have fixed an issue where Nancy’s collecting poison animation would still play even if a player cancels out of the action

• During this animation, players also could not move or control Nancy and Sissy could use the table at the same time
  
• This will no longer occur
  

Fixed: Nancy’s Dress Clipping Through Her Body
- We fixed an issue where Nancy’s dress would clip through her body when idling, running, spriting, executing, and closing crawl spaces

Fixed: Anonymized Player Names Showing During Escapes
- There was an issue where a player who had anonymize player name setting on would have their name shown to other players when they escaped
- This has been fixed and now anonymized player names will be hidden

Fixed: Camera Clipping Issues
- We have fixed the camera clipping that occurs on the ladder between Thicket Tunnel and Thicket area on Gas Station

Fixed: Stuck Spots on Gas Station
- We fixed an issue where traversing through a side gap, after trying to pick up a bone scrap, would make a player stuck
- We fixed Hitchhiker getting stuck in the gap from House Basement to Junk Room
- We fixed players getting stuck while descending the ladder in the Tool Shed and being attacked at the same time
- We fixed Family players getting stuck in the pipe assets in the Fuel Storage room of the Basement

• The pipe has been removed so Family players can’t get stuck in it now
  

Fixed: Stuck Spots on Nancy’s House
- We fixed an issue where players would get stuck on the edge of the mattress in the House Basement

Fixed: Nancy’s Glasses on Low Setting
- Nancy’s glasses would refract incorrectly on low settings
- This is now fixed

Fixed: Loadouts Not Saving After Restarting Game
- We have fixed an issue where loadouts were not saving when a player closed out of the game and then started it back up

Fixed: Loading Screen German Translation Not Fitting Screen
- There was an issue with a specific tip on the loading screen where it did not fit the screen when translated to German

Fixed: Victim’s Ragdolling during Cook’s “Easier Said than Done” Execution
- We have fixed an issue where Victim players would ragdoll during cook’s “Easier Said than Done” Execution

Fixed: Loadouts Resetting during Custom Match
- We have fixed an issue where loadouts were resetting to default perks when completing a custom match

Fixed: Danny Tampering the Generator
- We have fixed an issue where Danny players tampering a turned off generator would only apply the cooldown after it’s been turned off again
- This fix ensures that tampering a turned off generator applies the longer cooldown after the mini-game is complete

Fixed: “Must have Been the Wind” Perk Waking Up Grandpa
- We have fixed the perk “Must Have Been The Wind”
- Now, noise generated during minigames with this perk will be disregarded and will not add to waking up Grandpa

Fixed: New Player Negative Values
- We fixed an issue where new players would see negative values on their Family character’s special abilities and they would not receive any XP during public matches

Fixed: Nancy House Escapes
- We fixed an issue where unique escapes on Nancy’s House were not being recorded

Fixed: Grandpa Sonar Warning
- There was an issue where Grandpa’s Sonar Warning was not displaying while the critical bleed out warning was active
- This has now been fixed
- This means that Grandpa’s Sonar Warning takes priority over the critical bleedout warning and that both warnings are present simultaneously

Fixed: Inaudible Door Destruction
- We fixed an audio issue where the sound for destroying a pantry door in Nancy’s House was inaudible from the inside
- It will now be audible from all sides

Fixed: Sonny’s Audio during Close Encounters with Cook
- We fixed an audio issue where Sonny players who lost a close encounter to Cook would have a female scream
- Now, it will be Sonny’s scream

Fixed: Camera Movements on Ladder with Cook
- We fixed an issue that occurs when Cook uses the ladder between the Side Garden and Side Garden Tunnel on Family House
- The issue would make the camera move freely when Cook would descend the ladder
- With this fix, the camera will remain stable and transition smoothly while traversing

Fixed: Family Member Misalignment While Closing Valve
- We fixed the issue where Family members would be misaligned when from the valve handle when trying to close the valve pipe

Fixed: Invisible Collision on Family House
- We fixed the issue where invisible collision was present near the Shed area on Family House

Fixed: Texture Issue on Slaughterhouse
- Texture on the railing by the stairs in the Loading Dock would be dark if the shadow setting was set to “Low”
- This has been fixed to where the railing texture is not dark when changing settings

Fixed: Issues with Leland’s Skill Tree
- The Been Workin’ Out Perk on Leland’s Skill Tree is incorrectly valued at 1SP instead of 2SP

• This caused Leland’s Skill Tree on the left hand side to go to level 9 instead of 10 and only receive 49/50 attributes
  

- Players will now be able to reach maximum level as we have added attribute points to his Skill Tree

Fixed: Localization Issues
- We fixed an issue where Danny’s Apply Knowledge prompt is not localized to languages other than English
- We fixed an issue where the ‘Mute All’ and ‘Unmute All’ prompt was not localized for other languages

Fixed: Leatherface Camera Issues
- We have fixed an issue where the camera moves downward and focuses on Leatherface’s leg when collection from blood buckets

Fixed: Various Camera Issues
- We fixed an issue where the camera would snap heavily when a player got too close to parts of the fence on the Side Ramp of Nancy’s House

Fixed: Nancy’s Barbed Wire Interactions
- When Nancy is in a certain position, her barbed wire animation when placing them in doorways gets interrupted
- We have fixed this so now players can successfully place her barbed wire regardless of position

Fixed: Tracker Tagged Perk Stacking
- We have fixed an issue where the perk Tracker Tagged highlight duration was stacking after attacking a Victim multiple times

Fixed: Tampering Having No Effect on Opened Valve
- We have fixed an issue where Danny players had no effect when tampering an opened valve
- This fix means that tampering an open valve as Danny will increase the time that the valve is open for

Fixed: Stuck Spots on Slaughterhouse
- We have fixed an issue where family players would get stuck in the doorway near a blood bucket in Leatherface’s Lair
- We fixed a spot where Victims who crouched next to the pipes in the Bone Room would get stuck

Fixed: ‘Choose Fight Perk’ Not Working
- We fixed an issue where the perk Choose Fight was not activating correctly at all 3 levels

• Level 3 was not giving the extra 5 second stun duration
  

- Now, when a victim has this equipped and wins a close encounter, the current stun duration is added

Fixed: Falling Through Map During Leatherface Execution
- We have fixed the issue where Victims and Leatherface will fall through the map when Leatherface’s ‘Drilling Down’ execution starts

Fixed: Missing Nancy Facial Expression
- We fixed an issue where Nancy was missing her facial expression when feeding Grandpa

Fixed: Incorrect Nicotero Chainsaw SFX During Intro
- We fixed an audio issue where players with Nicotero Leatherface heard the default chainsaw SFX instead of Nicotero’s chainsaw SFX during the intro cutscene

Fixed: Victims Falling Through Ground While Traversing
- Victims who were traversing through a gap from the Holding Pen to the Garage, on Slaughterhouse, would fall through the ground
- With this fix, players will no longer fall through the ground when traversing the gap

Changed: Lobby Timer Resetting
- We have changed the lobby timer to not reset to 30 seconds if a 6th player hits unready
- This means that when a 6th person in a lobby hits unready, the countdown is not affected

Changed: Reporting System
- We have made improvements to our reporting system
- Players can now report a player for
Exploiting the game
Cheating
Offensive name or profile
Spamming chat
Trolling or griefing other players
Abusive voice or chat communications
Other
- UI Updates have been implemented to reflect these changes

Changed: Brazilian Portuguese and Russian Language Options
- Brazilian Portuguese and Russian translations have been added into The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
- Brazilian Portuguese and Russian are now available as language options in the menu

Changed: Chip Damage While In A Grapple
- Family players will no longer be able to instantly execute a Victim player who is grappling with another Family player
- Now, when a Family player attacks a Victim who is grappling a teammate, they will deal melee damage
- We made this change as we felt it was unfair to Victims with full health

Changed: Trapping Leatherface Exploit
- We have a made a change that stops players from using to barge function to entrap Leatherface in a room
- Leatherface will now be able to both destroy and unlatch a door during a victim’s barge interaction

Changed: Danny’s Instant Study
- We have changed Danny’s Level 3 Instant Study
- Danny cannot Tamper any item that he has also instant studied such as fusebox, generator, valve tank, and battery

• The button prompts have been updated accordingly to reflect these changes
  
• The ability tree has also been updated with a new description
  

Tuned: Nancy’s Poisoned Claws Duration
- We have tuned the values for the duration of Nancy’s ‘Poisoned Claws’ perk to 2/5/8 seconds
- Previously, attacks would have a slight poison effect for 5/10/15 seconds

Tuned: Various Telemetry
- We have added in extra telemetry to better track data

• The goal for this is to ensure our team can utilize this extra data as we continue to work on improving lobbies and matchmaking issues
  

Tuned: ‘Choose Flight’ Perk

- We have tuned the ‘Choose Flight’ perk accordingly

• Level 1 - Fills 50% of stamina, single charge
  
• Level 2 - Fills 75% of stamina, single charge
  
• Level 3 - Fills 100% of stamina, single charge
  

Tuned: ‘Bomb Squad’ Perk
- We have tuned ‘Bomb Squad’ as follows

• Level 1 – 2 Charges
  
• Level 2 – 3 Charges
  
• Level 3 – 4 Charges and +50% dismantle speed
  

Due to the Steam character limits, the rest of the patch notes can be viewed on our Community Hub here: https://www.txchainsawgame.com/hub/patch-notes-feb-6


To report any and all existing or persistent issues, please use the support site.

Thanks for your continued support and patience!

Listen to what each Victim would be jamming to in the spring of ‘73.

As mentioned in our last stream, we take character creation seriously in order to integrate them into a world that makes sense. We know our Victim’s relationships to one another, what clothes they like to wear, where they go to school, and what music they listen to.

Below you will find a curated Spotify playlist for Ana, Connie, Sonny, Danny, Julie, and Leland featuring music that they would realistically have been listening to at that time. The first two songs on each playlist are important to each character per Ronnie Hobbs our Creative Director here at Gun. We hope you enjoy!

Ana’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/49Q1XzI6YNj3ti2Xdf1Jvj?si=baf8b8f7ef244165



Ana’s playlist explores aspects of her heritage, being as she is close with her family. Tunes like “No Puedo Olvidar” by Juan Gabriel, a rising Mexican singer at the time, and “Mi Rico Son” by Tito Puente and Celia Cruz are just a few examples of what Latin music sounded like at the time. Ana would be listening to a mix of traditional and pop music that would play on the radio.

Connie’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/329V2DwNaKMAe7wgedq49m?si=ed050338e26e4af9



Connie’s playlist is reflective of her roots from growing up on a farm in Paris, Illinois. Songs like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn and “Mule Skinner Blues” by Dolly Parton are some of the best examples of this! Being a student at the University of Texas, her music horizons have broadened and widened. Some of the songs featured here are also reflective of how much of a good friend she is.

Sonny’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MDAYC5xcFzBDSu9TLBkcx?si=c8eb5d2c854a43ac



Sonny’s playlist features the cool and interesting music of the time. Being that he is not only book smart but also quick on his feet, he has a wide taste in music that he can study and jam to. Songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers and “Dirty Work” by Steely Dan show his softer side.

Danny’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3PzR2oHy5BEfXVcxu5cZof?si=a25926e5c1804ff8



Danny’s playlist explores his rough upbringing and how he doesn’t always feel like he fits in. As Creative Director Ronnie Hobbs has said, “He comes from nothing.” His playlist features prominent music from proto-punk band The Stooges and David Bowie. As an emotional and intelligent character, a few songs relate not just to how he would feel toward Maria but also songs that are a bit against the grain.

Julie’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7FsafLhVudSr97kudrGpvJ?si=05c4d970fad745ab



Julie’s playlist is inspired by her Southern Californian roots. You can imagine Julie thinking about home with tracks like ‘Witchy Woman” by The Eagles, who hail from Los Angeles. As the sporty type, be sure to give both “Brand New Key” by Melanie and “Run Run Run” by Jo Jo Gunne a listen.

Leland’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/236HDmXkZDqNpPSCnilDDW?si=751f01461b174f53



Leland’s playlist is a blend of rock ‘n’ roll and country music. Spanning from Alice Cooper to Johnny Cash, Leland is a tough but sweet character whose playlist showcases that. You can imagine that he’s thinking about Jules when “She’s All I Got” by Johnny Paycheck plays in the background or maybe he’s reminiscing about his high school wrestling days to “School’s Out.”


Thank you for reading!

Here is a recap of future content and updates for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Matt and Wes sat down to discuss the work our team is doing on future content and its progress. Players can expect to see the items discussed below within the next 90 days. To further clarify, that means that some items you will see sooner, while items that need further development would be closer to that 90-day mark.

Execution Packs and Weapon Skins

We are excited to say that execution packs are on their way! Yes, that’s right, multiple execution packs. While we still want to save some things for a surprise, we can say that these executions are much more brutal than what’s currently seen in-game. Creative Director Ronnie Hobbs was able to push the dial a little further toward the dangerous to bring them to life. Also, weapon skins are making their way to the game to let Family players accessorize their weapon of choice.

Cosmetics

Next, let’s talk about upcoming cosmetics. We are partnering with a very talented studio named Art Bully to help bring new styles to your favorite characters for both Victims and Family players.

An outfit of note is called Bride Sissy. The work being done on this outfit features Sissy in a wedding dress. The idea of someone as weird and twisted as Sissy donning an outfit of love was fascinating for Ronnie. The angelic symbolism of a white wedding dress on someone so evil was an interesting juxtaposition that we can’t wait to share soon!

The other cosmetic of interest is the much-requested shirtless Johnny! Balancing the strength of a farm worker and wanting Johnny to feel intimidating, Shirtless Johnny is finally coming to fruition. Fun fact: He was originally supposed to be shirtless.

Both of these Family cosmetics will be free when they are ready to launch!

Museum Mode

Museum Mode is a way for you to move around the Family House (akin to the F13 virtual cabin) featuring some puzzles. There are photo opportunities in this mode where you’ll use a camera and save pictures to share across socials. Additionally, you will see trivia and behind-the-scenes footage for both the film and the game!

New Characters

Work on a new Victim and Family member is underway, with development for them both still in progress. This means that both characters still need to be fine-tuned, tested, and finished. With characters that are motion captured, voice-acted, and integrated through narrative design, they require some time to finalize. As we get closer to their release, we’ll be rolling out more information on who they are, lore, and what they’ll do.

New Map

Our next map is currently in development and is called The Mill. This map will play much differently than any we have so far. It has much more verticality, with four playable levels featuring a dry creekbed. The Mill's verticality will change gameplay as players can go up and down these floors. You got a taste of that with Nancy’s House, and now we're taking that up a notch. With these different levels, it will also have some interesting well usage for dynamic gameplay.

To get the full details on everything in this post, check out the VOD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E-QjwjXeFE

Thank you for reading!

Here are some tips and tricks from the team for new players to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an asymmetrical horror game featuring 3 Family Members versus 4 Victims. With the holiday season bringing so many new players to Muerto County, we wanted to break down some core elements of gameplay.


For New Family Players:

For new players, talking and communicating with veteran players is a great way for guidance, especially about map knowledge. For seasoned players, remember, we all start somewhere, and being able to help out a fellow community member could aid in a team sweep. Talking them through objectives, utilizing Family Focus (the up button on the d-pad for controller users), and remembering to have fun is welcomed and encouraged! Side Note: Family Focus is a great tool that allows Family players to see where critical objects on the map are, like the generator, fusebox, and valve tanks. They additionally will show you where your teammates are on the map!

Each playable Family Member has their own unique ability and gameplay experience!

Leatherface players will spawn in the basement. When down there, you would be the person who gets to put pressure on victims during the early game. Breaking barriers will open up the basement for your other teammates during the later stages of a match. To ease into learning Leatherface’s overhead slam attack, start by gently revving your chainsaw. Once you get comfortable with that, you can work towards figuring out that sweet spot where you can catch noisy victims and one-hit slam them! While Leatherface players may feel a bit of pressure at first, remember that this game is designed and intended to be a fun horror experience for everyone!

“When I am Leatherface, I destroy every obstacle, and as many wooden doors as I can so Victims can't give him the slip.”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer

Hitchhiker will be able to access more areas of the map for Family players who want to gain map knowledge quickly (same goes for Sissy). He can traverse through gaps and crawl spaces, making him a surprise threat when you find a Victim. At his disposal are three bone traps that can stop a Victim player in their tracks. You can set traps near important items like the valve tank, the fusebox, next to generators, in front of the car battery, or by high-traffic doors. That extra second where a Victim has to disarm a bone trap can help you secure an execution for The Family! For players who want to play mind games and aid in chases, Hitchhiker is your guy.

Cook is the Family’s team player as his Seek ability allows him to hear noisy victims. When using comms, Cook players can alert their teammates to where the Victims are! While he is slower than other Family members, he makes up for it by being able to feed Grandpa lots of blood and lock down important doors on any given map. With three padlocks, The Cook can secure parts of a map while Victim players are still in the basement. The Cook may not seem like a go-to pick when starting, but by observing places where victims make noise, you’ll start to anticipate their next moves. The Cook can bring out the cat-and-mouse survival aspect of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. He’s a great pick. Let’s face it; it’s very satisfying to see someone get clobbered in the head with a broken broomstick handle!

“The Cook's padlocks not only slow Victims down from navigating the maps and escaping, but they also serve as clues for Cook players who properly patrol their padlocks. If that padlock has been unlocked then the Cook knows what those pesky kids are up to.”

- Andy Cleves, Community Representative

Johnny will be the hunter of a team setup. He’s able to sniff out victims who are moving recklessly and can call them out to his teammates. Johnny’s special ability, Hunt, allows him to track the footsteps of Victims around him. Patrolling key objective areas while also using Family Focus can make Johnny feel like the natural predator he is. With intense strength, Johnny can also add concussive hits that make Victims disorientated. He can instantly barge doors, as well. Staying close to buildings and being on the lookout for footsteps makes Johnny a threat.

Sissy is an immensely fun Family member for players who want to be able to hide, trick, and poison Victims. Sissy can go through gaps and crawl spaces, making her dangerous as she can keep up with you during chases. One thing that makes Sissy stand out from the Family roster is that she can hide in the same spots Victims can. Keeping an eye out for freezers and dressers in high-volume areas of a map can give Sissy a huge advantage, especially paired with using her Bane ability which poisons and slows Victims down. With poison tables around the map, she can refill and continue to poison objects like fuses, valve handles, and health potions. She’s very versatile, and you can build her through perks to be even more sinister and menacing.

“It's important to use the Family member's who can navigate the map more freely, like Hitchhiker and Sissy, to cut off routes. Rather than chase down the same Victim on the same path that another Family member is chasing, use their traversal to cut those Victims off, trapping them to be caught by one of you.”

- Mattshotcha, Brand Strategy Lead

Nancy may seem like a sweet old lady, but don’t let her fool you; she’s a tough Family member through and through. Armed with a garden hoe, Nancy can be very versatile for players, new and old. Her Spy ability can show Nancy where victims are, but only through the eyes of the victim. While she is a bit of a slower Family member, she can set up to 3 barbed wire traps around traps and doors. The best placement for these traps is where Victims will try to escape from a chase near objectives. High-traffic areas can seem like the best spot for them, but they can break. As the woman who raised Johnny, Nancy can be a monster and secure some very gruesome executions.

“As Nancy, it is very satisfying to catch a Victim by placing her traps in locations that they are likely to use for a quick escape like gaps in walls or crawl spaces. Also, learn the map well so when using her Spy ability, you can always figure out where Victims are.”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer

Lastly, don’t forget about Grandpa! Each Family player can equip their own Grandpa perk that can help their team, such as Animal Farm, which gives Nugget an increased detection radius, or Well Fed Yung’Ens, which gives each Family player a stamina boost. Grandpa perks do not stack. So, be sure to communicate and look at your team's load-outs to see which would be best for your match!

“When you don't know where Victims are, feed Grandpa. When you hit or execute a Victim, feed Grandpa. When you collect blood, feed Grandpa. The higher level, the more frequently he screams, pinpointing the location of noisy Victims. Again, when in doubt, feed Grandpa!”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer

Additional Nuggets:

“You can cutoff routes with less nimble Family members by hitting an adjacent room and making sure you're waiting on the other side of that gap a Victim is using. Don't always tunnel together, split up and corner the prey.”

- Mattshotcha, Brand Strategy Lead

“New Family members should watch out if Leland is running toward them at full speed - he is likely ready to use his ability. Be intentional with every single swing of your weapon - if your stamina runs out, you won't be able to keep up with Victims running away. Also, make sure a Victim doesn't trick Family members into chasing them around while the other Victims prepare exits for everyone else to escape.”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer


For New Victim Players:

A Victim player's main goal is to stay quiet and hidden as you use your skills to escape the terror of The Slaughter Family! Depending on who you play, you can find a playstyle that best suits you with some tinkering. While you may see many Victim players attempt to break free as fast as possible, remember that making noise in the basement (including escaping your binds) contributes to waking up Grandpa. If he wakes up, Family players pose an even bigger threat as they can come into the basement to take care of those noisy Victims.

For newer players, Ana would be a solid choice that would help with longevity in a match. With her Pain is Nothing ability, Ana can withstand more hits than any other Victim. She takes less damage from both attacks and falls, which could be the difference between life and death. Mix her ability with stealth play, and Ana will always be the Final Girl. Whether you tank a hit for a teammate to aid in escape or you're taking one for the team as a distraction, Ana can do it all.

Connie is one of our most popular Victims, as she can aid new players during the heat of the moment with her Focused ability. She can pick locks much faster than other victims, but that’s not always a benefit since it costs her stamina. A pro strategy for new players is to not trap yourself or your team in the basement area. Connie’s can unlock all the basement doors before opening them so that you and your teammates don’t have to worry about needing to lockpick a door in the middle of a chase. While Connie aids in exploring the map for newcomers, remember that she can be squishy. If you get caught making too much noise or trying to move too fast, you might not make it out alive.

Sonny is a great choice when partying up or during solo queue, especially for newer players. His Heightened Sense ability will allow you to detect noise, such as Family members that are making their way to you. For new players playing slow and stealthy, you’ll be able to make your way around the map without being detected or caught if you move in directions opposite of where the Family is. It also means you can help organize your team's exit strategies. For example, if you see all three Family members upstairs in Family House, you can aid in helping the team escape from the car battery exit without them noticing!

“I'm a stealth playing gamer, so I love Sonny, as his abilities and attributes both tend to cater to this play style. Good communication with the other Victims will definitely help to keep everyone alive longer with a better chance to escape.”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer

Leland is the definition of a team player. His ability, Life Saver, allows for some flexible builds that let you test the limits of how far you’ll go to protect your friends. He’s strong, but he’s loud. For new players that want a bit of a challenge, learning Leland can be very rewarding as he’s the protector of his friend group and can barge and stun a Family member during dire situations. Leland’s keeping watch while a Connie player unlocks a door is a great first step to successfully escaping!

Julie is our sporty Victim who’s not only stealthy but fast! For new players who feel a little more daring, Julie’s Ultimate Escape lets her not be tracked by Family members. Pop her ability during critical times to make the best use of it. In addition, she receives a reduced stamina drain while running! Gaining that extra distance between you and a Hitchhiker player could be the difference between life and death. I’d recommend Julie for players who value wanting to be quiet and light on their feet during their matches.

“If I think I have a shot at running for the front road exit, it is because I'm Julie. If the Family team is slow like Leatherface, Cook, and Nancy, her abilities are aces against them.”

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer

Danny is a tricky player to get the hang of but can be very good when used strategically. Being that he is intelligent, his ability Study and Tamper lets him examine key objects around the map. As Danny gains knowledge, he can tamper with objectives temporarily. The catch is that he needs to sit still to gain this knowledge. That means that you’d need to have a keen awareness of where Family players are so that you can have the time to study a generator, fusebox, radio, or TV. Be sure to let your teammates know which exits you’ve got covered so they know what you're up to!

Additional Nuggets:

“Don't be afraid to abandon a plan. Many times, the Family will get hung up on whatever exit you were working on, which is the perfect time to go unlock another. And don't forget to use your loadouts to prepare you for different Family team compositions. Certain perk combos are situational, make sure you bring them to right situations, and have a few viable loadouts. Keep in mind, your attribute points can be spent differently between different loadouts too.”

- Mattshotcha, Brand Strategy Lead

“If your health is high, initiating a close encounter is wise, as Victims are likely to win, but, if health is low, Victims are likely to lose and die. If Hitchhiker is around, pay attention to his traps everywhere, especially around interactive objects. If Nancy is on the Family team, look for barbed wire constantly - she's tricky. Also, if she catches you with her Spy ability, look at something neutral as quickly as possible, and then go somewhere else ASAP. Using a health potion can get rid of Sissy's poison faster. If you see Leatherface chasing you with his chainsaw in the air, RUN, it could be a one-hit kill. If you see Johnny or Cook doing their abilities, don't move, and as soon as they are done, run far away. If Sissy or Hitchhiker are chasing you, jump down a well. Speaking of which, don't be afraid to abandon a plan and jump down a well into the basement if unexpected Family members show up. You can also get healthy and try again when the coast is clear, or, try a completely different escape route. Keep an eye on your life and keep health potions so you don't bleed out. Also, keep a shard handy to cut down noise charms or to defend yourself.“

- Robert Fox II, Designer/Producer


Squad Up

We are so excited to welcome a new wave of players to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! This is a game where you and your friends can recreate some of the most iconic scenes in horror history. You can also play each match like you’re the director of your version of Texas. There is a community ready to help and play. So, hop on TCSM now!