In 2017, gamers were treated to the release of Friday the 13th: The Game, an asymmetrical multiplayer game that allowed fans of the franchise to live out their favorite Crystal Lake horror fantasies. Players could assume the role of one of 14 established counselors or as Jason himself in a battle royale match that tasks everyone to survive, escape, or kill before the 20-minute time limit expires.

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Not all the counselors were created equal though. Some, like Vanessa Jones, have incredible speed but bad luck, while others like A.J. Mason have excellent repair abilities but are physically weak. The best characters in the game possess a combination of skills that give the player the most options to succeed in surviving the night.

Eric “JR” LaChappa

Eric LaChappa screams in terror as Jason raises his spear in Friday the 13th: The Game.

Despite being the smartest character in the game along with Deborah, Eric “JR” LaChappa is the worst counselor in the game. As the prototypical “computer geek,” LaChappa is an unfortunate personification of all that archetype’s cliches: he’s slow, physically weak, and is prone to melodramatic screaming when Jason is nearby, alerting the mass murderer of the player’s presence and anyone else who might be in the vicinity. He’s a character that fans of the game typically avoid picking unless they want a tough challenge.

Sheldon “Shelly” Finkelstein

Sheldon runs away from Jason at night in Friday the 13th: The Game.

Based on Larry Zerner’s nebbish character from Friday the 13th: Part 3, considered the worst movie in the franchise, Shelly is not much better than LaChappa. Similarly slow and easily exhausted from running, Shelly is a moving target that Jason typically goes for first to secure an easy kill.

The one benefit Shelly has over most other characters is Stealth. With an 8 out of 10, he’s the male character to select if a gamer’s goal is to simply hide from Jason for most of the match. This advantage, however, quickly evaporates when Jason goes into rage mode and, since Shelly doesn’t have any other strong abilities to rely on, he’s more than likely to perish before the clock runs out.

Kenny Riedell

Kenny getting strangled by Jason at night in Friday the 13th: The Game.

There’s nothing really wrong with Kenny. As the leader of the counselors, all of his stats are average. With a 5 out of 10 for Strength, Stamina, Speed, Luck, Repair, Composure, and Stealth, Kenny has no real weaknesses to prevent him from instantly dying.

He also doesn’t have any strengths that allow him to live without the aid of others. Kenny is best used as a team player by fetching car parts that will allow other characters to repair a car or fix the phone fuse. Yet if he is by himself, the odds are more likely he will get a machete in the crotch, a death replicated from Friday the 13th: Part 3 that is recognized as one of the best Jason kills in the series.

Brandon “Buggzy” Wilson

Buggzy shines a flashlight on Chad as he calls the cops in Friday the 13th The Game.

As the stereotypical jock of the group, Buggzy has all the good stats a player would expect in an athlete. With superior Strength, Speed, and Stamina, he is one of the few characters who can engage in direct battle with Jason and walk away with little to no damage.

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Buggzy’s downfall is his incredibly poor Repair, Luck, and Stealth. To escape Crystal Lake, he would need the help of others to get the car started or to call the cops. In addition, Jason can easily detect the star athlete even in strategic hiding places. While he can run away, it’s usually only a matter of time before Jason finds and kills him.

Tiffany Cox

Tiffany blows a kiss to the viewer inside a cabin in Friday the 13th: The Game.

The mean girl of the group, Tiffany’s biggest strengths are Stealth and Stamina. She is almost undetectable by Jason and can run for a long time without getting winded. Because of these skills, Tiffany is the game’s best “fetcher” who can supply car or phone parts without being discovered.

If Jason does find her, however, she quickly falls apart as a useful character. Since her Composure is low, she is prone to stumbling when Jason is chasing her, making her easy to catch by the killer. Like Buggzy, her Repair stats are awful, so she’d need the assistance of other counselors to escape.

Chad Kensington

Chad's mouth is agape as he stands near an outside fire in Friday the 13th: The Game.

The frat boy everyone loves to hate, Chad is usually selected by players who want to mercilessly taunt Jason. With high Luck and Speed stats, Chad is ideally suited to retrieve valuable weapons and items like pocket knives that can prevent the Crystal Lake slasher from grabbing and killing a player right away.

With the lowest Composure out of all the male players and poor Repair skills, Chad isn’t the best when playing as a team with other counselors. But for players willing to endure 20 minutes of relentless chasing by Jason, Chad is the best character to quickly move around any of the game’s 5 maps.

Deborah Kim And A.J. Mason

Split image of a bloodied Deb & AJ in a cabin in Friday the 13th The Game.

While both counselors have slightly different stats, both Deborah and A.J. share the same general strengths and weaknesses. Both ladies have superior Repair and Stealth skills, allowing them to fix the car battery quickly, pour gas into the boat’s tank, or calling the cops without Jason noticing.

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Yet their low Strength and Speed make them vulnerable to attack when Jason eventually discovers them. Too weak to fight back, and too slow to escape, both Deborah and A.J. would need to escape in the car or boat quickly to survive the night.

Adam Palomino

Adams finds a severed head in a shack in Friday the 13th: The Game.

As the bad boy counselor, Adam’s studded leather jacket and long hair signify his character’s overall toughness. With high stats in key categories such as Repair, Strength, and Composure, Adam is the ideal character to play as if gamers want to help other counselors escape or fight Jason directly.

His biggest weakness is his Luck. With a 2 out of 10, Adam is more than likely to begin the match next to a car or the phone, which any smart Jason would go to first to place booby traps to prevent gamers from escaping. Yet smart players can neutralize this by simply running away from Adam’s spawn position and to a less dangerous area of the map to collect health sprays and pocket knives. With his high intelligence and impressive ability to withstand Jason's attacks, Adam is similar to Friday the 13th Part 2's Ginny Field, whose survival skills rank among the best of Friday the 13th's protagonists.

Vanessa Jones

Vanessa stands next to a fireplace with a baseball bat in her hand in Friday the 13th: The Game.

It’s highly likely that when a player joins a Friday the 13th game lobby, they will likely see multiple Vanessas waiting to play. This isn’t surprising as she is the quickest counselor in the game whose stamina lasts a long time. With her good luck and decent strength, Vanessa is the first choice for many players, from neophytes trying the game out for the first time to pros who want to give Jason a good chase around the map.

While she can be easily detected by Jason give her 1 out of 10 Stealth stat, it doesn’t matter. Her superior Speed effectively neutralizes this weakness. And although her poor Repair skills prevent her from escaping Crystal Lake easily on her own, she’s one of the few characters who can outlast the clock and simply run away from Jason when he is nearby. Vanessa's strengths far outnumber her weaknesses, making her a worthy Final Girl in the Friday the 13th franchise.

Fox

Fox runs away as Vanessa dances and Jason approaches in Friday the 13th: The Game.

For players who want the most options with their counselor, Fox is the best to play in the game. The self-described “biker chick” is the only character besides Kenny who doesn’t have a stat below 3, thereby stripping her of any crippling weakness to overcome. Ever her worst stat, Luck, is easily overcome by running away from her spawn spot at the beginning of the game.

Furthermore, her high Strength, Composure, and Repair skills make her an effective offensive and defensive player. She can quickly repair boats, cars, and the phone while also successfully battle Jason one-on-one with the right weapon. Her decent Speed and Stamina allow her to beat the clock and escape from Jason if he is lucky enough to find her. Players rarely go wrong with Fox because she is the most strategic character with a varied and deep skillset that will carry all types of gamers to victory.

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