Being the Best at Scream Deathmatch in Call of Duty

As far as Halloween-themed game modes go, Call of Duty’s latest is a winner. Scream Deathmatch – I know! – has you play as either a witless victim or Scream in something completely unlike anything else in the game.

In most games you’ll be tasked with simply surviving. Hide from two Scream killers for as long as you possibly can, earning points for every other survivor you outlast.

But you’ll also take the role of the killer. You’ll be made to track down your victims, hoping to not only find them fast enough, but to survive their counter attacks as well.

Scream Deathmatch is fun, frantic and often far more tense than it deserves to be. But most of all it’s a really, really good time.

Mastering Scream Deathmatch

Scream Deathmatch is so completely unlike anything else you’re likely to play in Call of Duty that it takes a couple of rounds to get to grips with what it actually is.

My first instinct was to fight back. Learn from my mistakes.

As a victim, you are not completely powerless. You have a flash grenade and a handy punch if you want to try and fight back. I’ve seen Scream killed before. It’s not completely unheard of.

But man are you outgunned.

Scream can kill you in two moves. He’s faster than you as well. Every 20 seconds two of your characters will scream, meaning that not only must you hide, but even that might not be enough.

Once every single one of your fellow victims is dead, you’re given a machete in the hopes of defending yourself. Again, I’ve seen times when this has worked fine. You can certainly fight back.

But the average player is going to be best trying to wait out the clock. At least until you get used to things.

Taking to the Top

Once you’ve got used to the rules of Scream Deathmatch, you’ll probably be able to pretty consistently get to the top of the table. It’s not particularly difficult.

But you have to learn the rules. The first, really, is that time is everything. It doesn’t matter how many victims you kill as Scream, because the bulk of your points will come from outlasting your allies.

This can manifest in nasty ways. I’ve seen allies who’ve run Scream into an area where all their mates are waiting. I’m not sure that’s the way to play, but if that’s what you choose to do, that’s up to you.

More important than that, and a lot less risky, is probably to start thinking of fun hiding places. Yes, sometimes that’ll be in the bushes or in that one sniper spot you love. But more often than not it won’t be because if you know about it, everybody else does too. 

My favourite so far has been in a window. Just in a window. Hanging on the sill, watching the Screams go by. It wasn’t well defended, I had nowhere to run, but I got right to the end of the game because nobody thought to look there.

Scream Deathmatch is great fun and easy to learn. You shouldn’t wait too long to try it out either, given that it’s a Halloween treat.