Death Note: Killer Within

DEATH NOTE Killer Within is a competent Social Deduction game that runs almost flawlessly on the Steam Deck, with good performance and controls.

DEATH NOTE Killer Within takes the core ideas of Among Us and adds a unique Cat & Mouse flair with some notable nods to the anime.

Death Note Killer Within is an online social deduction game for up to 10 players. Players will be split into two teams with different objectives. To win the game, players will need to figure out each other’s identities and either eliminate L who threatens Kira's power or seize the Death Note. PC version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

When we first previewed Death Note: Killer Within, we were limited to a one-hour session in a smaller 2v2 format, which only scratched the surface of its potential. For this full review, I got to play the released version of the game, often in full 10-player lobbies as intended. This balanced setup—2 players on Team Kira and 8 on Team L—showcased the game’s depth and strategy, which were less evident during the smaller-scale preview back during the BNE media event we were invited to. Th...

Death Note's plot involves several interesting characters who get zero focus or development in this title as its sole focus is providing a multiplayer game very different from the usual anime-licenced games, like Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. Still, it feels like a missed opportunity not to have separate game modes that further explore parts of the fascinating storyline, especially the iconic relationship between Light and L. The game strips down the series' relationships into specific gameplay job roles that - despite the lack of character depth - coalesce into a surprisingly engaging game of ...

Death Note Killer Within is truly fascinating, even to look at from a distance. It’s a smart adaptation of a Shonen Jump manga that is famous for challenging what “Shonen Jump manga” could be at its moment in time. Seeing the characters pop up in games like Jump Ultimate Stars or Jump Force was always awkward, and the other games based on the series remain obscure. So it’s cool to see the folks who made this identify a trend and realize the IP is a good fit, then execute it in a way that both adapts Death Note and have fun with it at the same time. I think it has a pretty limited audience thou...