Class of '09

About

Class of '09 is a single player casual role playing game with horror, comedy, anime and erotic themes. It was developed by SBN3 and was released on June 10, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

This is the anti-visual novel. Instead of playing as some guy magically able to score with beautiful anime girls, YOU play the anime girl and create mass chaos in the lives of your potential "suitors". Earnest comedy, social accuracy, and late 2000's aesthetic await you in Class of '09!

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,607 reviews

humor1.7k positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Extremely funny with a unique and dark humor style that resonates with those who enjoy edgy comedy.
Well-executed voice acting that significantly enhances character personalities and overall immersion.
Offers multiple endings with diverse and unpredictable story routes, providing enjoyable replayability and social commentary on American high school culture.

The game is quite short, with many repetitive dialogue sections, which can make completing all endings tedious.
Characters are often one-dimensional stereotypes with morally questionable traits, which might alienate some players.
Sensitive topics such as suicide, pedophilia, and sexual assault are heavily featured and may be triggering or uncomfortable for some audiences; the humor and writing style may not appeal to everyone.

humor
1,776 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in "Class of '09" is characterized by its dark, edgy, and satirical style, often blending shock value jokes with biting social commentary on high school life and societal issues. Many find it hilarious and memorable, praising the sharp writing, voice acting, and how it authentically captures early 2000s teen culture, though its repetitive and heavy reliance on taboo topics can feel tiring or offensive to some. Overall, the humor offers a unique mix of cringe-worthy, absurd, and genuinely funny moments, best suited for players with a taste for morbid and irreverent comedy.
- “This game is a non-stop "you can never guess what any of the characters will say," and I would say my jaw dropped more times than Nicole dropped dead in my gameplay.... Despite the game's dark humor and dope voice acting, the game’s subject matter (pedophilia, sexual assault, suicide, white supremacy, etc.) though slightly exaggerated, still reflects real-life experiences.”
- “The voice acting takes a relatively funny set of conversations and elevates them to the stratosphere with phenomenal comedic timing, inflection, and tone.”
- “The writing is sharp, over the top, and consistently funny from start to finish in just about every route you can find while also offering an interesting insight into how a person's social status can burn them no matter which side of the popularity line they land on.”
- “Honestly not funny at all and bored me to shreds.”
- “It's painfully unfunny, played for 20 minutes and I've already had enough.”
- “The pedophilia and rape jokes in here are a lot and it becomes unfunny just because you heard the joke many times.”
story
412 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The story of this visual novel centers on Nicole, a deeply flawed teenage protagonist navigating a cynical, darkly humorous, and satirical portrayal of high school life marked by moral ambiguity and shocking, often uncomfortable themes. While many praise its sharp dialogue, voice acting, and multiple branching endings that offer varied narrative paths, some critique its use of exaggerated stereotypes, inconsistent tone, and reliance on crude humor and shock value, which can limit emotional connection and alienate some players. Overall, it is seen as a unique, entertaining, yet polarizing story experience blending biting social commentary with dark comedy.
- “The story centers on Nicole, a teenage girl recently uprooted and forced into yet another new school following her father’s suicide and a lifetime of instability.”
- “The game does not follow a standard coming-of-age plot but instead creates moral ambiguity and forces players to face impossible decisions which become survival challenges disguised as comedic situations.”
- “The sarcastic personality of Nicole together with unpredictable player choices creates an entertaining path which delivers shocking moments while allowing players to experience the story multiple times.”
- “The story writing feels like it's been written by a kid in high school who just wants their fantasy of being the school edgy/cool kid who can take out their frustrations of real life out on this game.”
- “The crass dialogues lost its element of surprise and the story just felt like slop.”
- “Everyone is cliche beyond belief and I couldn't care less for any of the characters, even Nicole because her emotional backstory was delivered so poorly.”
gameplay
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
Gameplay in this visual novel is notably simple and choice-driven, lacking traditional mechanics, puzzles, or interactivity beyond dialogue options. While many praise its humor, writing, and branching narrative routes, others find it repetitive, short, and better suited to watching playthroughs than active play. Overall, it offers an entertaining but minimal gameplay experience that leans heavily on story and shock value rather than complex gameplay elements.
- “Gameplay is entirely choice-driven, with no puzzles, stats, or resource management to distract from the writing.”
- “Gameplay: tons of choices and many different routes, all of which are widely different.”
- “Gameplay is pretty simple, just some choices to make that branch to different endings, as in lots of other visual novels, but it shines in its humor and writing.”
- “Players experience shallow gameplay which requires them to choose between dialogue options because the game only contains basic interactive elements and two-dimensional design elements.”
- “The gameplay was grating, not artistic or meaningful, just grating, making playing it feel like dragging my balls over a sandpaper treadmill.”
- “After the shock value wears off, you're left with a boring game that has little to no replay value and poor gameplay mechanics.”
emotional
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional tone of the game is complex and multifaceted, blending dark humor with raw, often painful portrayals of trauma, manipulation, and adolescent struggles, leading to a deeply resonant yet sometimes unsettling experience. Players frequently describe feeling emotionally triggered, conflicted, and moved—ranging from laughter to heartbreak—highlighting the game’s unflinching exploration of difficult themes within a flawed, cynical high school setting. While some find it wholesome and heartfelt, others note that its edgy humor and bleak endings may alienate those seeking a more straightforward or uplifting emotional narrative.
- “I'd say underneath all the absurdity, verbal abuse, the bullying, the abuse of power by the teachers that's pervasive in this VN, is really a snapshot of a traumatized high school girl who never felt safe, never had a sense of stability, and always had to keep an eye over her shoulder because of how everyone treats her (more specifically, how the boys and adult men try to take advantage of her in nearly every shape and form, sexually and emotionally).”
- “In doing so, it captures a specific emotional truth about adolescence that is rarely explored so bluntly in games.”
- “It’s the kind of heartbreaking moment that lingers long after the game ends.”
graphics
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The graphics in the game evoke a distinct early 2000s anime-inspired aesthetic that resonates well with its niche audience, offering a charming yet deliberately imperfect visual style that complements its dark humor and storytelling. While some reviewers found the visuals average or lackluster compared to modern standards, many agree that the art style, character designs, and occasional use of real-life backgrounds effectively support the game's atmosphere, with voice acting often compensating for minimal animation. Overall, the graphics serve as a nostalgic and stylistic choice rather than a showcase of technical polish, aligning with the game's comedic and thematic goals.
- “Its funny in a painful way, honest in a way most story-driven games avoid, and shows that such games don't need flashy graphics to be powerful.”
- “The art style is strongly reminiscent of old-style high school imperfection, definitely living up to the game's title.”
- “The art style is stunning, the soundtrack is perfectly curated, and the pacing is spot on, ensuring there's never a dull moment.”
- “Overall graphics are on par with Katawa Shoujo, but that game was released ten years prior to Class of '09, so I was expecting a more up-to-date level of visuals.”
- “I tried to look past the bad art style, since some really good stories don't necessarily have good visuals, but I was incredibly let down.”
- “By far the worst part of the artwork is the sheer laziness of the design of the female characters.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The game's music is minimal, mainly limited to a subtle, calming piano theme on the main menu and intro, which many players find emotionally resonant and nostalgic. While the sparse soundtrack complements the fast-paced dialogue and mood, some reviewers wished for a more extensive or distinctive musical score to enhance replay value and atmosphere. Overall, the music effectively supports the story's emotional weight despite its limited presence.
- “I get chills whenever I hear the intro to this game, and the music is so good!”
- “The piano music that plays at the home screen every ending makes me feel something I cannot describe.”
- “The art and music are also noteworthy, creating an atmosphere that enhances the emotional weight of the story.”
- “There's no music, but the speed of dialogue is so fast and natural that it would be distracting if it was there, just like any real conversation.”
- “There is minimal sound effects and almost no music throughout the entire game.”
- “The music isn't anything special, especially for the visual novel medium.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The game offers notable replayability primarily through its multiple endings, with players encouraged to explore up to 15 different outcomes and achieve full completion. However, opinions vary, as some find the replay value limited once all endings are unlocked, citing short playtime and lack of achievements to enhance motivation. Overall, replayability is tied to discovering varied story routes, though it may not sustain long-term engagement for all players.
- “A lot of really good characters and some impressively dark and grim moments that created a memorable and replayable game.”
- “Due to the many endings this game has a lot of replay value.”
- “There are so many routes and endings, making it very replayable (most of the routes are literally insane).”
- “The game would have had more replayability value if there were achievements to unlock and you could get multiple endings (it says you can get 15 different endings because you get a new “text message” at the end saying you can get multiple endings), but what even is the point if you don’t earn achievements for it?”
- “After the shock value wears off you're left with a boring game that has little to no replay value and poor gameplay mechanics.”
- “At the time of writing this, I've 100%'d it and played through everything it has to offer, and I will say the playtime is pretty short, only being 4-5 hours, and there isn't a whole lot of replay value.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The game runs smoothly on Linux with no stuttering, crashes, or glitches, though a minor issue arises when switching windows without pausing on certain setups like Hyprland. Overall, performance is stable and reliable, contributing to a polished experience that highlights the strong writing and voice acting.
- “Game runs perfectly on Linux with no stuttering, crashes, or glitches. Note: if you don't pause the game before switching windows on Hyprland, you may not be able to rewind beyond that point, so just pause the game (Esc) first.”
- “The voice actors all did amazing and deserve plenty of praise for their performance.”
- “Graphics (quality/art style/animations/ui/performance) – 5/10.”
- “If you don't pause the game and switch to another window (using Hyprland), you may not be able to rewind further than that point; just pause it (Esc) when switching windows to avoid this issue.”
- “I experienced no performance issues playing this on my desktop.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
30%
40%
Grinding is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially when replaying to unlock all different routes and endings. While some find initial playthroughs enjoyable, completing all content can feel like a slow, boring slog requiring significant effort.
- “Quick playthroughs and replaying for different routes and endings isn't tedious like it can be with other games.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Replaying the game to unlock all the different endings felt tedious and unbearably boring.”
- “The first few organic playthroughs were fun, but getting all the endings was an annoying, tedious slog.”
- “But, my one big problem with this game is how tedious it is to explore all the different choices.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Character development in the game is solid, with distinct personalities and multiple outfits that enhance individuality, though some characters feel simpler or less differentiated. Excellent voice acting and nostalgic design contribute well to character portrayal, and exploring different paths provides meaningful growth despite being less strong than in previous installments. Overall, the style and character representation effectively capture the game's high school setting and time period.
- “The voice acting is excellent and I like the character designs and personalities.”
- “The voice acting, the character designs, the whole feel of the game is perfect.”
- “The character development in this game isn't as good as the re-up but it's still amazing.”
- “I don't mind too much though; you get plenty of character development for all characters by exploring different paths.”
- “All the character designs seem somewhat simple: not too many details but every character still has personality and can be told apart (except Hunter and Kyle maybe).”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences several bugs, particularly with fullscreen mode, graphics, and audio glitches during scene skips, and some minor engine issues. However, it runs smoothly without crashes or stutters on Linux, though users may need to pause before switching windows to avoid rewind problems. Despite these stability quirks, the overall experience remains enjoyable.
- “Great game, fullscreen mode is very buggy though.”
- “The engine was a little buggy, but otherwise this was a very fun experience.”
- “There are some graphics and audio glitches when you skip scenes, so be aware of that.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's lo-fi design, standout voice acting, and well-crafted art and music combine to create an immersive, chaotic teenage atmosphere that authentically captures the feel of suburban high school life. This atmosphere effectively enhances the emotional depth of the story, making the experience both engaging and memorable.
- “The game uses a lo-fi design together with voice acting and comic timing to create an immersive experience which supports the chaotic teenage atmosphere.”
- “The art and music are also noteworthy, creating an atmosphere that enhances the emotional weight of the story.”
- “Voice acting is phenomenal and it really captures the chaotic atmosphere of American high schools.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users view the monetization as relying heavily on ads without providing meaningful gameplay, leading to a lack of lasting value and engagement.