The Math Problem Killer is about a serial killer on the loose who uses math to challenge authorities from rescuing his victims. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
The Math Problem Killer Review Overview
The Math Problem Killer Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Every Case Is Interesting Pretty Good Audiovisuals |
Math Problem Is The Real Killer Unskippable Cutscenes and Captions There Are No Options Other Issues |
The Math Problem Killer Overall Score - 64/100
The Math Problem Killer can be treated as an elementary math exam that you can take inside a thriller game. While its audiovisuals are pretty nice, you’ll quickly grow tired after just a couple of stages. Additionally, the story is flat and concludes with a very dissatisfying ending. At the very least, it’s cheap enough and has enough content that it more than justifies paying the whole 10 dollars to get it.
The Math Problem Killer Story - 6/10
Donning its thriller cape, The Math Problem Killer’s overarching plot is a standard story of rescuing damsels in distress from a brutal murderer. It’s a proven formula that follows tropes in which anybody could immerse themselves. The problem is that it completely butchers the ending by basically not giving you one.
The Math Problem Killer Gameplay - 5/10
The Math Problem Killer seems like it’s a walking sim thriller game that tries to emphasize the genre’s puzzle elements disproportionately more than its peers. While it may seem like a novel idea, the issue with the game is that it feels much less like a game than an elementary math test on Steam - and one that you can’t fail.
The Math Problem Killer Visuals - 7/10
If there’s one thing the game definitely gets right, it’s the atmospheric element in every stage. For each case, you, the protagonist, are thrown into this dungeon lit by naught but inadequate bulbs, illuminating the slightly comical but decently horrific props within its rooms and corridors. Unfortunately, the magic doesn’t last long, as the game also suffers from a severe case of “you’ve seen it once; you’ve seen it all.”
The Math Problem Killer Audio - 7/10
The focal point in any player’s aural experience with the game is in its recordings. These are voiced quite well and bring a lot of Saw vibes to it. As you progress through the cases, you can even feel that the perpetrator gradually becomes more agitated purely through their choice of words. On the other hand, there’s nothing exceptional or noteworthy about anything else.
The Math Problem Killer Value for Money - 7/10
Regardless of your skills with a calculator and a notepad, you’ll definitely get a bang for your buck with this game. It has a dozen cases to solve that have an overarching story, and each of them has a variety of flavors that come in the form of different backstories for each crime. Plus, it’s all available for an appropriately-priced 10 dollars, just cheap enough to get a nice kick out of it and then leave.
The Math Problem Killer Review: Math Problem Dies
Among the many interests I have in life, things regarding numbers, mathematics, and engineering take up a significant fraction of them. That’s why The Math Problem Killer caught my eye as I saw it on SteamDB’s list.
After watching the promotional material, my interest only grew, but not in the way most games would. Obviously, the game itself wasn’t something to be taken seriously. A serial killer that purposely lets the protagonist foil his plans? Who is he, the Riddler? The premise seemed utterly ridiculous.
Thankfully, that mindset saved me from many disappointments once I started playing the game. It’s not bad at all, but it was painfully mid. Perhaps it was because it felt like it was purposely designed to be convoluted? I really couldn’t imagine a serial killer painstakingly recording numbers to riddle authorities with as he commits his crime.
But that laughable idea eventually caught on. The more I played the game, the more entertained I became, imagining the serial killer looking at his watch and checking his surroundings for any number he could put into his riddles. Halfway through the latter half of the game, I even found myself enjoying it.
Don’t get me wrong, though. The game is definitely average. But it has a distinct charm that someone playing the game with the right mindset can pick up.
There was just one big problem: who is this mysterious “Math Problem”? Why did he die? How is he relevant to the game? What does Ms. Problem think about his death?
I guess we’ll never know.
Pros of The Math Problem Killer
| Things The Math Problem Killer Got Right |
|---|
|
Every Case Is Interesting Pretty Good Audiovisuals |
Every Case Is Interesting
The Math Problem Killer’s narrative centers around an obsessive stalker and murderer who kidnaps young ladies so that he can dangle them in front of the authorities. It’s a reliable formula that can quickly get passing marks as long as they don’t screw it up. While the game certainly does screw up with its unsatisfying ending, it definitely didn’t in terms of presenting each of its cases.
You see, the “Math Problem Killer’s” targets aren’t limited to a single demographic. The game also doesn’t have you chase after just one kidnapping victim across multiple stages like Super Mario Bros. did. His victims have diverse backgrounds, from regular suburban mothers to internet influencers. Additionally, how he tackles each kidnapping is similarly distinctive, though likewise cruel. Sometimes, he uses the victim’s family, friends, or acquaintances as a springboard to the actual target, and sometimes, he does the opposite.
That keeps every stage fresh, at least in terms of narrative. Despite the harrowing circumstances in every case, it’s hard to drop the game in the middle of a run because questions like “Oh, what happens next?” would keep plaguing you.
Pretty Good Audiovisuals
Most horror or thriller games rely on the atmosphere to deliver the proper reaction from its audience. That may involve having dimly lit corridors or rooms, blood splatters across the floor and walls, scattered debris near high shelves, etc.
The Math Problem Killer has an abundance of that. The developers seemed to pay close attention to how every room should look to deliver a bleak view of the victim’s prospects.
Its audio also deserves some praise. In this case, the game is an excellent example of “less is more,” as its almost silent background music sets a beautiful mood for players trying to immerse themselves in a life of crime-solving (math problem-solving, really). In fact, if no recording is being played, the only thing you will hear from the game is the soft background track and your footsteps echoing across the room. It truly gives you the impression that you are alone with a murderer and his victim.
In fact, the game also uses proximity audio, which is particularly noticeable for the recordings. Although it drops off really quickly, the added element of sounds getting softer as you walk away from the source adds to the atmosphere quite well.
Cons of The Math Problem Killer
| Things That The Math Problem Killer Can Improve |
|---|
|
Math Problem Is The Real Killer Unskippable Cutscenes and Captions There Are No Options Other Issues |
Math Problem Is The Real Killer
The Math Problem Killer is half a thriller walking sim and half a problem-solving game. In my opinion, that is its biggest sin. To elaborate, I think it could have done much better if they went with the route games like Baldi’s Basics took by supplying players with very simple math problems or going to the other end and having players navigate intermediate or even advanced mathematical concepts like calculus or trigonometry.
Anything, as long as it doesn’t take you more than a minute to solve.
The problem with its current approach is that you’ll spend more than half your time writing notes or punching digits into your calculator. There is no difference between it and reciting in class after the teacher dictates a mathematical problem for the students to solve. Like many, that will involve picking up a pen, paper, and calculator. And that’s the issue - it removes the players’ attention from the game and onto something else, despite being tangentially related to the gameplay.
That also means there's a severe lack of variety in the content you will encounter. It would serve the game better if it played around with getting people to solve simple math problems on a timer or adding playable sections with more lore expositions - anything will suffice as long as it doesn’t involve taking the player’s eyes away from the game.
Unskippable Cutscenes and Captions
For a game released in the year of our Lord 2024, The Math Problem Killer still lacks an essential quality-of-life feature that, truthfully, many other games also lack: a skip cutscene button. While the current version thankfully doesn’t require you to sit through the opening slideshow each time you fail, it’s still baffling that the game doesn’t have that feature in the first place.
After all, gamers who don’t care about a game’s story do exist. And that doesn’t include players who are attentive to it but don’t need refreshers just to replay a previous stage.
But that’s just a minor issue at the end of the day. Some players could just tab into YouTube to watch a clip of their favorite Vtuber while waiting for the opening cutscene to end, anyway. The real deal breaker is in how the caption is displayed. It entirely ignores the order in which you interact with the recordings.
For example, imagine yourself playing a mystery game in Fallout 4, where hints can be obtained from Holotapes. You’ve already received most of what’s needed to solve the mystery, but then you realize you misinterpreted one detail. So, instead of giving up and taking the shortcut by checking the Fallout Wiki, you act like a real gamer and check out the Holotapes again.
But you messed up and clicked on the wrong one. Naturally, you would just check out the others, right? Sure you can. But what if you’re also hard of hearing or like to rely on captions instead of listening to the entire cassette? Tough luck for you, because in The Math Problem Killer, the captions for the latest recording you play won’t be displayed until after the first recording you played finishes.
You might think, “Well, I’ll just fix it in the Options.” You can’t, because…
There Are No Options.
Yes, you read that right. This game has no options for you to play with. The game simply boots fullscreen, in the highest possible graphics settings, with max volume on all sliders and no way to turn subtitles on or off. Heck, you can’t even choose resolutions.
Do you want to change the way it’s displayed? You’ll have to go to NVIDIA Control Panel or Radeon Settings. Do you want to change the game’s volume without adjusting your speakers’ or your system's volume? Then, you’ll have to open Windows’ Volume Mixer. How about mouse sensitivity? Sorry, you’ll have to adjust it using your mouse’s DPI switch. Or worse, using Windows’ Mouse Properties.
Other Issues
As if not having options is terrible enough, the game also suffers from other problems, although minor in scope.
For one, despite each case having a proper chronological order in which the killer presents their crimes, it’s pretty difficult to listen to them correctly. That’s because each room feels mostly random in its layout, with parts of the case that should be presented in the beginning sometimes being located in the middle or even in the deepest part of the area.
Going back to the captions, they aren’t even a 1:1 representation of what the recording says. The most inconsequential ones are simple grammar errors or minor typos, but there are also some egregious mistakes, such as an entire detail being omitted. Granted, I haven’t encountered any that would jeopardize your chances of solving the puzzle.
Not that you'd want that, since you'll never see any of the victims die if you blunder, anyway.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t extend to the recordings themselves, as sometimes, the way a math problem is presented makes forming a complete equation an exercise in itself. To elaborate, aside from blatant mathematical expressions such as “add” or “multiply,” the use of the terms “next,” “then,” etc. can get quite confusing, especially when they’re told in a single breath.
Lastly, I hope the game adds a way for you to take notes in-game or even provide a calculator on the side. While getting a pen, paper, and calculator is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, having those at your side instead of on your game’s window just takes your attention away from the game itself. You lose a lot of momentum that way, regardless of how well you pull off the environmental horror.
Using the Notepad and Calculator app on Windows doesn’t help, either.
Is The Math Problem Killer Worth It?
It Actually Is
Ashamed as I am to admit, despite all of my complaints about the game and the relatively low score I gave it, I actually like the game a lot. As a horror and thriller enthusiast, The Math Problem Killer has managed to scratch an itch I never knew I had. Who would have thought there would be a demand for a horror/thriller slasher game with strong Saw vibes, but where the gruesome games are all replaced by hilariously simple math problems? I certainly didn’t, at least until I played it.
Do try the game out. It’s only 10 dollars, anyway.
| Platform | Price |
|---|---|
 Steam Store |
$9.99 |
The Math Problem Killer Overview & Premise
A string of murders and kidnappings have been occurring on the streets of New Columbia perpetrated by what the media is referring to as the “Math Problem Killer.” You are part of the Serial Killer Task Force, whose job entails tracking down and detaining criminals like these. Normally, a training period is set aside for new agents like you, but the urgency of the situation means that you’ll have to get your boots on the ground immediately. So, use your head and rescue the kidnapped victims.
The Math Problem Killer FAQ
Question 1: Does The Math Problem Killer have multiplayer?
No, the game is an entirely single-player experience.
Question 2: Is The Math Problem Killer a horror game?
While the Saw movies were accidental horror movies under the splatter film subgenre, it’s questionable whether or not The Math Problem Killer would count. It would be better to approach the game with the mindset that you’re playing a puzzle game with thriller elements.
Game8 Reviews
The Math Problem Killer Product Information
 | |
| Title | THE MATH PROBLEM KILLER |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 19, 2024 |
| Developer | Bejamru Studio |
| Publisher | Bejamru Studio |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller, Puzzle |
| Number of Players | Single-Player (1) |
| ESRB Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | The Math Problem Killer Official Website |
