Everyone knows that wolves are supposed to hunt the lambs. But what happens when you aren’t sure who’s a wolf and who’s a lamb? Better yet, what happens when the lambs can fight back against the wolves? This is the premise of Killer Inn from Square Enix, a social deduction game where both sides figure out who to kill. Checkpoint Gaming had the chance to participate in a large closed beta game of Killer Inn and see how it worked.
We played several games with the first two giving us a chance to get used to the controls and the objectives. After that, everyone experienced the main reason why social deduction was important, as well as figured out which weapons were the most effective. Games quickly devolved into a mess of suspicion, violence, and accidents. It was very enjoyable and gave great insight into the importance of deduction, risk-taking, and having fun.
In Killer Inn, everyone is split into two teams: Wolves and the Lambs. The Wolves must kill all the Lambs while covering up their tracks. Lambs must learn who the Wolves are and must kill them or obtain Golden Keys to escape by boat. Everyone is in a room in the mansion grounds at the start of the match, but you don’t know who is who. Wolves can see who is a Wolf and a Lamb, but only when they get close to players.
Fortunately, Lambs can discover who the Wolves are by searching corpses for clues. There are some corpses scattered around the mansion grounds that let you narrow down the players who might be Wolves. However, Wolves can find these corpses first and cover up evidence to make it harder for you to find them. These clues relate to a character’s appearance, though you can easily check the player name as well.
Weapons, armour, and equipment are scattered around the mansion or purchased from shopkeepers. Each shopkeeper provides quests that give you money to purchase items and jewels that open chests. Killer Inn has elements of an arms race; you must quickly get weapons to defend yourself and fight back. Otherwise, you won’t stand a chance once the firefights start, even if you do know who to eliminate.
Most people got the chance to be both a Wolf and a Lamb during our time with Killer Inn, and the differences were striking. At first, I didn’t see the point of the social deduction and tested a variety of weapons in public as a Lamb. When another Lamb was “killed” by the grenade, I was petrified and taken out of the game. Killing another member of your team, even by accident, is treated as a death. If you are wrong, you are taken out of the game while your accidental target is fully healed.
Once the hosts pointed out this consequence to everyone, this raised the stakes. Everyone held their weapons back because they didn’t want to make a mistake. Voice chats were filled with tinges of suspicion as we wondered who was who. Social deduction mostly took place in two ways: finding clues and seeing who killed whom. Voice chat was hampered by people not knowing how to use it, or in my case, not recognising the microphone.
The beginning of each game was quiet as everyone ran around completing quests. The hosts gave us information about shopkeepers and getting quests, which everyone used to get weapons. However, I managed to do a good job defending myself with a Crowbar in the early stages, even though it wasn’t a strong weapon. Unfortunately, the arms race often sped past me, and I had no choice but to get a gun.
Searching bodies for clues gave valuable insights into potential Wolves, but it was still hard to act on the information. What if you were wrong and ruined your game because you were hasty? Everyone was acting on this information, which resulted in situations where people opened fire because someone acted suspiciously. On my last game as a Lamb, I saw someone hang around a corpse too long, staying near me as I investigated and moved around.
“What if you were wrong and ruined your game because you were hasty? “
It was weird to me, and I opened fire, eventually taking them down. They turned out to be a fellow Lamb, and I was out of the game. In another tense moment towards the end, a Wolf managed to fool two Lambs into holding their fire by not attacking. Neither Lamb took the 50/50 gamble because if they were wrong, the Wolf would get the advantage. While the Lambs eventually won, it showed the strength of the suspicion that the game threw on the participants.
Being a Wolf was more enjoyable since you didn’t need to worry about deception too much. I spent the early game acting just like the Lambs, completing quests and buying equipment. But when someone was alone or I felt confident, I took out everyone in my sights. I could see who was a Wolf, which prevented me from hurting the wrong target. However, the numerical advantage of the Lambs kicked in several times.
Once the Lambs figured out I was a Wolf, they quickly coordinated their attacks. Two people shooting at someone turned out to be a good indicator that someone was a Wolf. I also met my end when someone choked me to death, a strategy that the hosts told us about later in the session. But while I was a Wolf, it was fun sparking terror in the Lambs and knowing I could act with little consequence.
Characters have unique abilities that help them in various situations, but during the games, it hardly mattered. Not that the abilities weren’t useful, but it was more common for differences to be settled with guns. The arms race starts the moment someone gets a gun, and few abilities help you survive a gunshot. My group was more focused on figuring out who was who, and no one reported using an ability to get out of a dangerous situation.
The mansion grounds you play in are vast, and there are several hidden corridors, doors, and vents to use. That lets you get in a better position or lose a potential hunter. While I went through some of them for fun, there were some early risks. I got stuck on a Guardian that protected a bridge key and stayed that way for several minutes. While I eventually freed myself, it wasted valuable time, and eventually I had to resort to corpse robbing to stay alive.
While I knew the premise of Killer Inn, I didn’t know how the deduction aspect would work or what the gameplay would feel like. After participating in the closed beta, I’m now aware of the importance of communication. Win the arms race by getting a decent weapon, then search for clues. Hold your fire unless you are sure who is who, then try to let other people know. If you’re a Wolf, hunt quickly and try not to get caught. Act fast, and even knowing your identity won’t help when the Lambs can’t fight back.
Killer Inn has a solid foundation that I believe adds a unique element to social deduction. As it is in closed beta, instances like getting myself stuck on objects like the Guardian are expected. Characters also didn’t get much of a chance to use their unique abilities; it honestly seemed like their main purpose was to be unique only in appearance. But the foundations of a social deduction game where no one can be easily trusted are there. As a Lamb, I enjoyed slowly learning who was a Wolf and taking risks. As a Wolf, I also enjoyed being able to act and plan my attacks. The arms race is unexpected, but I found it raises the suspense and tension considerably. Right now, it’s a great social deduction game, though several places need improvement before it’s ready to launch.
You can request access to the closed beta for Killer Inn on Steam and experience the thrill yourself. Closed beta testing starts on Saturday, July 26th 2025, at 8 AM AEST and ends on Tuesday, July 29th 2025, at 7:59 AM AEST.
About the Author
Victor Tan
He/Him
Victor spends his time trying to help players out of tricky situations and give them the guidance they need to succeed. Outside of the video game world, you can find him training at the gym or doing simple improv activities.
