Criminal Girls: Invite Only

Criminal Girls: Invitation Only starts off very lackluster with rather baffling gameplay choices, but after unlocking more skills that improve the battles drastically, dungeon crawler fans can easily find a lot of fun here.

62%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, optimization

76% User Score Based on 282 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $8.97

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

About

In "Criminal Girls: Invite Only," players assume the role of a reform program instructor for delinquent girls in Hell. Through the Reformation System, players help the girls confront their pasts, atone for their sins, and escape Hell. The game features turn-based battles, character development, and a unique art style. Please note that this game contains mature content and is meant for adult audiences only.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 286 reviews

story55 positive mentions

grinding84 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging combat system where players must choose from random actions suggested by their characters, adding a layer of strategy.
The character designs and backstories are well-developed, creating emotional connections with the players as they progress through the story.
The game offers a quirky and humorous narrative that keeps players entertained, with a blend of light-hearted and serious themes.

The gameplay can be excessively grindy, requiring significant time investment to level up characters and progress through the story.
Censorship issues detract from the overall experience, with many players feeling that the removal of certain content diminishes the game's appeal.
The combat can feel slow and tedious at times, with long animations and a lack of control over character actions leading to frustration during battles.

story
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The game's story is a surprising highlight, featuring deep character backgrounds and a unique take on themes of redemption and personal growth, often subverting typical genre tropes. While some players find the narrative engaging and emotionally resonant, others criticize it for being slow-paced or lacking depth in certain areas. Overall, the storytelling is generally well-received, with many appreciating its blend of humor and mature themes, despite some inconsistencies and a few clichéd elements.
- “The story is shockingly grown up and subversive of moe archetypes.”
- “Criminal Girls: Invite Only is a unique and unconventional JRPG that challenges traditional gaming norms with its distinct mechanics and storytelling.”
- “The story itself is unlike anything I've played before.”
- “The plot had quite a lot of potential but it always goes for the low-hanging fruit, even down to the protagonist who barely has any dialogue or personality and is just there for players to self-insert.”
- “Instead, we are looking at a mediocre, albeit beautifully drawn and competently animated, 2D RPG Maker indie lookalike, with a barebones story, colorful and well-acted, but boring characters, and a protagonist that initially is presented as a security guard in hell but then reverts to a total simp that's all for the classic power of friendship trope I've seen a billion times already, done much better by pretty much any other game.”
- “Grinding through this game surely is a pain already; the story does not make up for it, and random crashes after boss fights without a chance to save, combined with the lack of an auto-save feature, just make me feel like I'm playing a game on a console in the 1990s.”
gameplay
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
10%
The gameplay of "Criminal Girls: Invite Only" is characterized by a slow start and a heavy reliance on grinding, which can make it feel tedious and repetitive over time. While it features unique mechanics, such as a "motivation" system that influences character actions, many players find the combat to be frustratingly RNG-dependent and lacking in variety. Despite its innovative approach and engaging character development, the overall experience is marred by technical issues and a dated presentation, leading to mixed reviews on its enjoyment and pacing.
- “Criminal Girls: Invite Only is a unique and unconventional JRPG that challenges traditional gaming norms with its distinct mechanics and storytelling.”
- “Its engaging character development and unique gameplay approach add depth to the experience, setting it apart from more traditional RPGs.”
- “The overall gameplay is fun to me; the RNG moments with the combat aren't that bad when you get the girls skilled properly, the beginning is the hardest, and it is a different type of combat.”
- “Gameplay is far too slow, requires a long amount of grinding just to make characters even willing to fight (let alone learn skills), and the resolution of the sprites is awful to the point where things are so pixelated you'd be better off playing it on a tiny screen like the original Vita it was made for.”
- “The gameplay loop is basically to grind on one dungeon floor for experience and skill points, play the mini-games using the points to unlock more skills, then move on to another floor and repeat the process.”
- “From a gameplay perspective, the game speed itself is slow... just painfully slow.”
grinding
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
99%
The game is widely criticized for its excessive grinding, which is often described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the need to play mini-games for character skill development and the slow-paced combat system. Players note that leveling up primarily increases stats without unlocking new abilities, leading to repetitive gameplay and steep difficulty spikes that necessitate further grinding. While some players appreciate the traditional RPG mechanics and character designs, many find the grinding aspect overwhelming and detracting from the overall experience.
- “Grinding can be quite challenging, especially during some surprisingly difficult fights if you're not prepared.”
- “One of the major aspects of the game is grinding, which can feel overwhelming at times.”
- “The game requires a significant amount of grinding, and it doesn't always provide vital information to help you along the way.”
- “When you level up, it only increases your stats; you don't learn any new abilities. The only way for your party members to learn new abilities is to play the motivation mini-game, which requires in-game currency (cm) to play. In later parts of the game, this becomes more expensive, and you need to play the same mini-game for each of your party members, making it grindy and tedious.”
- “The game is grindy, long-winded, boring, and old-fashioned, with steep difficulty spikes that can only be remedied by more grinding.”
- “There was too much grinding to level up the characters for motivation, making it somewhat boring and easy to burn out from gameplay after a while.”
graphics
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the cute and visually striking art style, particularly the character designs and environments. However, several users note that the graphics feel dated and pixelated, especially in dungeon exploration, and some recommend patches to improve the visual experience. Overall, while the artwork is appreciated, the technical quality does not meet modern standards, reflecting its origins as a PS Vita title.
- “Artistic design: the game's art style is visually striking, featuring beautifully designed character artwork and creative environments.”
- “The graphics are very good.”
- “The storyline is pretty interesting and I have to say the artwork is cute!”
- “Graphics are dated, and I also recommend downloading the patch in order to remove the pink smoke effects and update the dialog to better match the Japanese audio tracks.”
- “But no effort has been made to update the graphics for PCs, much less for anyone who buys the game on a standard console.”
- “The sprites are pretty low-quality, even for an originally Vita game.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the outstanding soundtrack that complements the game's tone and enhances the overall experience. However, some players find certain tracks repetitive, particularly in later levels, and others feel that while the music is enjoyable, it lacks standout moments. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its charm and atmosphere.
- “Yet, despite this, the game's presentation is carried by strong voicework, a rather great musical score and well-drawn character portraits during battles and menus.”
- “Unique JRPG... music suits nicely different sceneries.”
- “The soundtrack is also outstanding, as each song that plays is accurate to the tone of what is going on at any current time.”
- “Sound and music is something from a J-pop video, and after a couple of hours, I put everything on mute so I could hear my thoughts again.”
- “The game has its own charm and style that will draw you in, but the music has no standout tracks and the art won’t be hanging in any galleries anytime soon.”
- “If I had one gripe about the music, it's that the last two dungeons play the same song, which is the same as the first dungeon.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring quirky and funny characters, lighthearted dialogue, and a playful tone that sets it apart from more serious JRPGs. Players appreciate the comedic character upgrade mechanics and the cute art style, though some note that the lack of voice acting during key humorous scenes detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, making it a favorite for those who enjoy a more irreverent and fun approach to gaming.
- “Cool game with great, funny characters.”
- “It's weird, overtly sexual, and hilarious.”
- “Awesome moe characters, deep storyline and great humor, more than enough reasons to get this game ;)”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth, as players uncover the backstories and personal struggles of each character, fostering emotional connections that enhance the storytelling. Individual character mini-quests contribute to this development and improve combat efficiency, while the overall character designs and engaging narrative set the game apart from traditional RPGs. However, some players note that the grindy gameplay can detract from the experience.
- “Engaging character development: as the narrative unfolds, players discover the backstories and personal struggles of each character.”
- “This depth of character development creates an emotional connection with the cast and enhances the overall storytelling.”
- “Its engaging character development and unique gameplay approach add depth to the experience, setting it apart from more traditional RPGs.”
- “The character development is incredibly grindy and unnecessarily slow, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “While there are individual character mini-quests, they do little to enhance character development or combat efficiency.”
- “The game has character development throughout, but it feels superficial and lacks meaningful progression.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by strong character development that fosters a deep connection with the cast, leading to both heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments. While some players find the experience relaxing and humorous, others are put off by certain mechanics and themes, which can detract from the overall emotional immersion. Overall, the game offers a mix of emotional highs and lows, with compelling backstories that resonate with players.
- “This depth of character development creates an emotional connection with the cast and enhances the overall storytelling.”
- “There are some emotional moments if you get invested in the characters, but overall it is a relaxing game and has some good comedy too.”
- “I had fun exploring each dungeon level and unlocking every new attack or ability each girl had to offer, while I generally found their backstories to be original, convincing, often compelling, and sometimes heart-wrenching.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance even on older hardware, others experience significant issues such as crashes and performance leaks, particularly during battles. Modifications can help improve performance, but many users are still awaiting patches for better stability.
- “It's a setting in BIOS and improves performance when simulating other systems with your CPU.”
- “The game runs smoothly and my laptop is 4 years old and I swear is dying every time I turn it on, so I'm surprised to have no lag or issues.”
- “- optimized for 16:9, 07 displays.”
- “After playing this for an hour, I can honestly say the performance is an issue in battle.”
- “This game crashes often and has performance leak problems.”
- “A few mods tend to make it better, but I am still looking for a performance one just until either the developers release a patch or the next game.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably problematic, with users reporting frequent glitches, including freezing after battles and issues accessing the save screen. While some minor glitches can be managed with in-game solutions, the overall experience is marred by significant bugs that can disrupt gameplay, making it feel unplayable at times. Despite its potential, many players find the game too buggy to recommend without reservations.
- “The game looks like it could be good, but at the moment it's a buggy, unplayable mess.”
- “The kicker for me is how it freezes sometimes after a battle, or when you're trying to access the save screen.”
- “Conclusion: this game is buggy and you have to grind hours and hours to pass some passages. The crashes are hell on earth if you haven't saved in a while.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game offers significant replayability, featuring a substantial post-game that rivals the original content, multiple endings, and a challenging final dungeon. Players appreciate the value for money, especially with the opportunity to unlock everything and experience different outcomes.
- “The replayability is amazing, having a post-game that is almost the same size as the original game, multiple endings including a final one, and a final challenge dungeon that will make you sweat at how hard it is.”
- “There's a bit of replay value too if you want to unlock everything.”
- “Bought this game on discount for less than 10 dollars, but this game is still definitely worth the money in terms of how long the game is and the amount of content and replayability you get.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is significantly shaped by the cards, which create a dynamic group environment akin to auras. Additionally, the well-crafted story enhances the overall ambiance, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience.
- “Those cards influence the group atmosphere, kind of like auras.”
- “The story is very well designed and offers a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the overall ambiance is dull and fails to engage players.”
- “The environment is lifeless, making it hard to feel connected to the game world.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game was a live service title available on mobile and PC that featured no advertising, and it was not published by NIS. However, it has since been taken offline, indicating potential issues with its monetization strategy.
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
- “I was disappointed by the aggressive in-game purchases that overshadowed the gameplay experience.”
- “The game relies heavily on microtransactions, making it difficult to progress without spending real money.”