Detention

The most telling thing to say about Detention is that it carves its own niche into the videogame horror genre. It shows a maturity and storytelling finesse for much of its brief run that eludes many within its medium. Despite a slump in the final act, and a couple of coldly logical puzzles that feel out of place with the story, Detention is a smart and sophisticated survival horror that draws from reality to fuel fear.

96%Game Brain Score

story, atmosphere

replayability, grinding

96% User Score Based on 2,972 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Detention" is a 2D atmospheric horror side-scroller set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law, where two students are trapped in a haunted and threatening school. Players must explore the ominous campus, interact with objects, and uncover the school's dark past, while avoiding evil creatures. The game incorporates East Asian elements, Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese mythology, and local Taiwanese cultural references to tell a unique and terrifying story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,972 reviews

story916 positive mentions

replayability8 negative mentions

Engaging and emotional story that explores themes of guilt, trauma, and the impact of political oppression.
Unique art style and atmospheric sound design that enhance the overall experience.
Simple yet effective gameplay mechanics that focus on exploration and puzzle-solving rather than combat.

Short playtime (around 3-4 hours) may leave some players wanting more content.
Some puzzles can be overly simplistic or easy to solve, lacking challenge for experienced players.
The pacing slows down significantly in the latter half of the game, transitioning from horror to a more narrative-driven experience.

story
2,156 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The story of "Detention" is a poignant and immersive narrative set against the backdrop of Taiwan's martial law in the 1960s, exploring themes of repression, guilt, and despair. Players navigate a haunting atmosphere filled with cultural references and folklore, piecing together a complex tale that unfolds through environmental storytelling and character interactions. While the gameplay is simple and the puzzles are not overly challenging, the emotional depth and historical context of the story leave a lasting impact, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “The game does a great job of explaining the political context as well as its significance to the core story in the form of collectible notes scattered around the map.”
- “Detention is a beautiful cinematic horror game that tells a tragic story based on true historical events in Taiwan.”
- “The story is dark and heartbreaking, but it was something that was a reality.”
- “The story is dark and depressing, but the depressing parts don't feel forced.”
- “The story is easily pieced together, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
- “The story gets linear and less puzzle-oriented at around the same time you start figuring out the mystery, so I felt like that was good on the devs to finish the story this way, as there really was no point in solving more puzzles if you’ve already figured out the story.”
atmosphere
773 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
36%
The atmosphere in "Detention" is widely praised for its haunting and immersive qualities, effectively blending eerie visuals, a chilling soundtrack, and a narrative steeped in Taiwanese history and folklore. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of dread and tension without relying heavily on jump scares, making it a standout example of atmospheric horror. The unique art style and sound design further enhance the game's oppressive mood, creating a deeply unsettling experience that resonates with players long after they finish.
- “Detention is a chilling and atmospheric horror game that transports players to a haunting setting in communist-era Taiwan.”
- “The atmosphere and music made me uneasy.”
- “The atmosphere is thick and oppressive, especially as you near the end of the game.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is jaw-dropping.”
graphics
502 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
48%
1%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and haunting 2D art style that effectively sets an atmospheric tone, drawing comparisons to classic horror titles like Silent Hill and The Cat Lady. While some players appreciate the artistic choices and the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals, others criticize the simplistic animations and overall low graphical fidelity, suggesting that the visuals may not meet contemporary gaming standards. Nonetheless, the combination of evocative artwork, a fitting soundtrack, and a strong narrative creates a compelling experience that resonates with many players.
- “The game’s grainy, monochromatic visuals and deliberate color choices create an unsettling, canvas-like experience that masterfully immerses players in its world.”
- “The graphics beautifully create an atmosphere to match the scenario and the immersive soundscape can be likened to the superb audio uneasiness of Silent Hill.”
- “Detention perfectly balances ethereal artwork and oppressive atmosphere.”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent.”
- “Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is very low, beneath what PC gamers have come to expect in this era of cutting-edge photorealistic 3D graphics.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
gameplay
433 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
5%
The gameplay of "Detention" is primarily a straightforward point-and-click adventure, featuring simple mechanics and puzzles that serve to enhance the storytelling rather than challenge the player. While the game effectively creates an eerie atmosphere and integrates unique horror elements, many players noted that the gameplay becomes less engaging as the narrative unfolds, shifting focus from interactive mechanics to a more linear storytelling approach. Overall, the experience is enriched by its compelling narrative and artistic presentation, making it a worthwhile play for those who appreciate story-driven games, despite its gameplay limitations.
- “Gameplay primarily involves exploring and solving puzzles, with some cat-and-mouse moments involving hostile spirits.”
- “Point and click type of gameplay, mixed with puzzles and a great atmosphere make this a truly amazing story-rich horror experience.”
- “The gameplay is simple but effective.”
- “The gameplay is nothing special; it's rather just there to communicate the story.”
- “The gameplay is simplistic and one-handed.”
- “Gameplay is inconsistent; each type of enemy is only around for a very short amount of time and by halfway through the game they don't show up anymore at all and the mechanics for avoiding them are completely disabled.”
music
379 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and contributing to the game's tension and emotional depth. Many reviewers noted its similarity to the iconic soundtracks of the Silent Hill series, with a blend of traditional Taiwanese elements that enrich the cultural context. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the storytelling and immersive qualities of the game.
- “The soundtrack reflects the game so well, and the sound design is impeccable.”
- “The atmosphere created by the sounds, the music and the art is really amazing.”
- “The music is chilling and the sound effects are pretty good too.”
- “The atmosphere and music made me uneasy.”
- “The game creates a sense of anxiety through its storytelling and music.”
- “The music is too flat and normal, like a low-cost production, although it's somehow decent music, not at a professional level compared to the perfect music made in the game Layers of Fear.”
emotional
147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players describing it as a deeply moving experience that intertwines horror with a poignant narrative rooted in Taiwanese history. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, often leading to tears, as it explores themes of trauma, oppression, and personal relationships through a haunting atmosphere and compelling storytelling. Overall, it is praised for its emotional depth, leaving a lasting impression that resonates long after gameplay.
- “Be prepared for an emotional ride, especially if you enjoy story-driven games with bleak themes.”
- “This game made me feel so fragile.”
- “A game with an emotional and powerful story that happened during a dark point of Taiwanese history.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
70%
20%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, primarily due to its linear story structure and short playtime of around 4 hours. While there are multiple endings that encourage some replay, many players feel that once the story is known, there is little incentive to replay, aside from collecting achievements or experiencing the narrative again. Overall, the game offers a unique experience but lacks significant replay value.
- “Multiple endings and replayability are factors woven into the story, with choices that affect your outcome.”
- “Normally I would hesitate to fully recommend a game like this due to how short it is, but the fact that there's multiple endings adds some replayability.”
- “Getting to the true ending might not be easy on a first playthrough, but replayability is facilitated by convenient access to all chapters of the story once one playthrough has been completed.”
- “Just don't expect anything more than that out of it, because it doesn't have much gameplay or replayability.”
- “The bad: really linear with poor replay value.”
- “Overall, while I think the game has little replay value, it is heads and tails above the rest of the indie games focused on story.”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with many noting that while the story and atmosphere are engaging, the gameplay can become tedious due to slow character movement, excessive backtracking, and some frustrating puzzles. Although some players appreciate the challenge of the puzzles, others feel that the gameplay mechanics detract from the narrative, leading to a sense of boredom as the game progresses. Despite these issues, the game is still considered worth playing for its intriguing story and artistic elements.
- “It was very tense up until that point, but after that it starts feeling a tad grindy and puts style over substance, feeling plodded out with interesting, but empty visuals.”
- “It's atmospheric, I really like the OST and the artwork, and the narrative could be quite interesting too... but the gameplay got boring, it was tedious at times and I was just so not engaged with the characters.”
- “Sadly though the story devolves into a pretentious mess as you get halfway through, and the horror aspect is completely dropped as you move from room to room rubbing objects on other objects hoping to get a reaction and progress the increasingly tedious story.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
Character development in the game received mixed reviews, with some players praising its depth and integration into the narrative, particularly in the second half, while others criticized it as minimal or lacking entirely. The art style and aesthetic were frequently highlighted as strong points, but many felt that the overall character engagement and dialogue were underwhelming. Overall, while some found the character arcs compelling and well-crafted, others were disappointed by their simplicity and lack of meaningful progression.
- “Beautiful game, loved the papercraft aesthetic; there was a lot of effort put into the art and character development of this game.”
- “I especially enjoyed the references and metaphors to Chinese folk religions and Taoism in the first half, and the story and character development in the second half of the game.”
- “Not only did Detention feel genuinely scary and unnerving as well as offer some interesting enemy types, but it also had one of the strongest narratives I've ever experienced, solid character development, it felt open-ended but still linear while offering closure and educated me on a culture and aspect of history that I'd never really thought of before.”
- “Although, in my opinion, I felt let down by the lack of a story, character development, and overall how simplistic the feel of the game was.”
- “But the character development is almost nonexistent.”
- “Do you like graphic adventures where you die, and need to repeat stuff because there are no checkpoints, and there is no story progression or character development (or even dialogues or combination of items!).”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd mechanics and comedic elements, such as the amusing "holding breath" feature and the ridiculous movements of ghostly enemies. Players find themselves laughing at both their own reactions and those of others, particularly in tense moments, while the game's quirky warnings and the juxtaposition of horror and humor add to the overall comedic experience. Despite some genuinely scary moments, the game manages to evoke laughter, making it a unique blend of fear and fun.
- “Holding breath mechanic absolutely made me laugh while playing this game... I'm sorry, I just can't continue :D Also, those black ghost things chasing me with those movements were too comedic :D Play this game with the 'Hong Kong 97' theme song... yes, Google it, play on YouTube and play this game... no more horror game :D”
- “I almost jumped a few times, which was funny because I was surrounded by other patrons at a coffee shop.”
- “After I finished the game, I watched a friend play the game and I kept laughing at how scared he was, heh.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting flawless performance and low system requirements. However, some players experienced occasional stuttering on high-end PCs and expressed frustration with certain gameplay mechanics related to save points and trial-and-error deaths.
- “The game does support high refresh rate monitors and the performance was great as the game ran at a constant 144 fps for me.”
- “Flawless performance.”
- “Performance: 10/10; flawless; low system requirements; no bugs or crashes experienced.”
- “My only problems were some early frustration with save points and trial-and-error forced death -- two of my least favorite mechanics in an adventure game -- and some late instances of stuttering scenes on my high-end PC.”
- “Where's your optimization?”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with most users reporting a smooth interface and no significant glitches. However, some players noted minor bugs and confusion during gameplay, suggesting that while the experience is mostly stable, there are occasional issues that could be improved.
- “There aren't any bugs, nothing feels out of place, and there are no glitches - just a few spelling errors is all I noticed.”
- “A little buggy and confusing at times, but definitely worth a playthrough!”
- “There aren't any bugs, no things that are out of place, no glitches, nothing like that - a few spelling errors is all I saw.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of Detention has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting that it feels more like a mobile app than a legitimate PC game. The simplistic gameplay and horror theme do not justify its pricing, leading to disappointment among players.
- “Detention is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is a simple side-scrolling/point-and-click 'adventure' game with a disturbing horror theme.”