Abyss School

About

Abyss School is a single player action game. It was developed by eTIRUe and was released on January 19, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Yuhee is an ordinary girl who attends a private school. While waiting for her school bus, she picked up a bright purple conch shell on the beach. She fell asleep on the bus due to unbearable drowsiness. What unfolded in front of her when she woke up was a school that had sunk into the deep sea and an abyss of followers following the high priest. She solves puzzles prepared by Abyss Followers, avoi…

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 188 reviews

story30 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers a fun and engaging puzzle experience with a unique underwater school setting.
Character designs and graphics are appealing, providing a nice visual experience.
The game is relatively inexpensive and offers good value for the amount of content and gameplay time.

The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, which can hinder the overall experience.
Puzzles can be repetitive and lack challenge, leading to a less engaging gameplay loop.
There is a lack of depth in the story and character development, making it feel less rewarding.

story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
34%
6%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and well-written, while others criticize it for being shallow or poorly integrated into the gameplay. Many appreciated the interesting plot twists and character design, though some felt the narrative lacked depth and was overshadowed by the puzzles. Overall, the story is seen as a decent addition that enhances the experience, but it could benefit from more development and implementation.
- “Somewhat to my surprise, I really enjoyed the story, imagery, and puzzles in Abyss School, and with over 12 hours of playtime (of the main and bonus games) for a little more than £3, I felt it to be very good value.”
- “The story is wonderful, the puzzles are interesting and creative.”
- “The little story that it had was still deeper than their other games and the ending was kinda sad, which is something that I honestly liked, because it makes this game feel more unique when compared to its predecessors.”
- “Let me start off by saying the story is practically nonexistent, and whatever little bit of story they do try to tell at the end is just terrible.”
- “It seems to me that this game is the result of having written down a decent story but making little effort into implementing said story into a game.”
- “I sadly give it a thumbs down because the story and lore were quite entertaining, but there's not much else going on.”
gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of smooth mechanics and puzzle-solving elements, heavily inspired by titles like Resident Evil and Haydee. However, many players find the puzzles to be overly simplistic and linear, lacking challenge and creativity, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game offers a decent amount of playtime for its price, the pacing can feel slow, and some mechanics are seen as unnecessary, leading to a mixed reception overall.
- “Puzzles and rooms are heavily inspired by Resident Evil and Haydee, with some creative mechanics for the puzzle bits.”
- “Using the same mechanics and combining them as the game goes on is super creative!”
- “Gameplay is rewarding and altogether you get for 4 euros quite a few hours of fun.”
- “Just like Haydee, the gameplay pacing is as slow as a snail.”
- “The main gameplay loop is focused around puzzle-solving, but the overwhelming majority of these puzzles are incredibly lackluster and provide little-to-no challenge.”
- “Clearly a downgrade in terms of quality and gameplay compared to their older products, Forest of Relic and Last Saintess.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
68%
19%
The music aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users noting a significant lack of original soundtrack (OST) throughout the gameplay, resulting in a bland auditory experience. While some feel the absence of music fits the game's setting, the overall consensus is that the sound design is inadequate, with a score averaging around 6/10. Players have expressed a desire for at least some ambient or thematic music to enhance the atmosphere.
- “Great game, just lacking original soundtrack music in it.”
- “At least add some creepy ambient music?”
- “The controls and camera are serviceable for the most part, the sound is just... there, with no music (but it is fine for the setting) nor voice acting.”
- “There's several bad/bland sound designs and lack of music in 99% of the game aside from the main menu screen.”
- “-zero music!!”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their quality and appealing character designs, though some users note issues with stiffness and occasional quirks, such as camera hiccups and rigid hair. While the visuals are considered solid for an indie title, they lack depth in terms of challenge and atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are a strong point, contributing positively to the game's interactive experience.
- “Great graphics and modeling; the story wasn't super deep but enjoyable, and the puzzles didn't make me want to bash my head off my keyboard!”
- “The main draw of the game is the graphics and heroine designs; the models are appealing, if stiff and robotic at times.”
- “Graphics are not bad at all for a small indie dev, but the hair looks kind of bad and rigid.”
- “The main draw of the game are the graphics and heroine designs; the models are appealing, if stiff and robotic at times.”
- “Visuals are pretty okay and there was real time and effort put into this, it's just not scary or challenging.”
- “If you can get past the graphical quirks and occasional camera hiccups and you like point-and-click escape room-style games but want something a bit more interactive, I'd say this is a pretty good game to satisfy that want.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has received criticism, particularly on the Steam Deck, where it can drop to 15-23 fps in certain areas, although it generally maintains around 30 fps on high settings. Overall, players feel that while the game has potential, it requires significant improvements in performance and optimization to enhance the experience.
- “It seems that performance and optimization are really poor.”
- “This game is badly optimized for the Steam Deck (can run at 15-23 fps in a few sections of the game, which is very bad but not game-breaking... but usually it's at 30 fps even on high settings).”
- “That's all I can think of; this is definitely a hidden gem that just needs better optimization and better sound design.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game has low replayability due to the absence of difficulty settings and various game modes, with players noting that while it may be visually appealing, there is little incentive to play it multiple times.
- “Not much replayability as there is no difficulty setting or various game modes.”
- “I can tell that the replayability is going to be low, but it was worth the money.”
- “Other than playing this for the eye-candy, there's no replay value.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized due to numerous glitches that cause it to hang, particularly when processor load decreases. While many issues have been addressed through patches, players still report significant stability problems that detract from the overall experience.
- “My review is negative due to the huge number of glitches, with the game frequently hanging and causing a decrease in processor load.”
- “There are still many glitches present, and while some basic features like checkpoints have been patched in, the stability remains a concern.”
- “The game suffers from numerous glitches that lead to frequent hangs, making it frustrating to play.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as genuinely funny, with some users appreciating the absence of overly charming or cute moments, arguing that such elements could have detracted from the overall tone and impact of the game.
- “Actually, hella funny! ;)”
- “I will defend the lack of charm these girls had, as any funny or cute moments would have ruined the overall feel of the game, and possibly the ending.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, lacking in rewards and replay value. While the game maintains some charm from its predecessors, the repetitive nature of the puzzles detracts from the overall experience.
- “This is just tedious, not rewarding, no point in replaying.”
- “Still retains the charm from the previous games, but wow, the puzzles are tedious and the loop is boring.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The atmosphere of the game is highly immersive, drawing players in and allowing for deep engagement that can be revisited over time. It evokes a strong mood reminiscent of other titles, making it a memorable experience that players appreciate returning to every few years.
- “The atmosphere and mood remind me of Haydee.”
- “But like I mentioned, that is a game I can play through from start to finish like once every 5 years, and just get so engrossed in the atmosphere, then take a break from it.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is highlighted through a compelling storyline and well-crafted character design, which together enhance the player's engagement. Additionally, challenging puzzles that test memory contribute to the depth of character interactions and growth throughout the game.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the ending of the game is praised for its emotional depth and meaningfulness, some players feel a lack of connection or passion for the characters leading up to that moment, which diminishes the overall emotional impact.
- “The ending is very touching and has a lot of meaning and deep thought to it.”