Chiller (NES)

The gameplay consists of shooting as many targets (“monsters”) as indicated by the Monster Meter at the top of the screen before the timer at the bottom runs out. The game features four main levels: the torture chamber, the rack room, the haunted house hallway, and the graveyard. After completing the final level, the game loops back to the first level with a higher target requirement, and each target awards more points. The game only ends when the player fails to reach the target goal within the time limit.

Each level contains a series of secret targets, which are shown in the middle of the screen before entering the level. If all secret targets in a level are found, the player can earn a bonus score by winning at the slot machine. A final bonus round is unlocked when all secrets across all levels are discovered. This bonus round consists of target practice in which objects moving at increasingly high speeds must be shot.

The game sold poorly in the United States because arcade owners refused to purchase it; Exidy successfully marketed it to developing nations. Modern reviewers often criticize the game for its senseless violence and encouraging the torture and murder of apparently innocent people, as opposed to the gamer fighting enemies capable of defending themselves.