Expelled!

About

Expelled! is a single player role playing game. It was developed by inkle Ltd and was released on March 12, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Expelled! is a single-player role-playing detective game set in a prestigious English boarding school where you play Verity Amersham, accused of attempted murder. Navigate school life by gossiping, lying, and sneaking while uncovering secrets and deciding whether to escape expulsion through fair or foul means. With an intriguing story, humor, and a unique morality system, every choice shapes your fate.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Expelled! offers a rich and intricate narrative experience with multiple solutions to problems, encouraging replayability and exploration of different character interactions.
The writing is sharp and humorous, with a charming cast of characters that adds depth to the story, making it engaging and entertaining.
The game introduces a morality system that allows players to explore different paths and outcomes, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

Some players found the game to be tedious and frustrating at times, particularly when trying to navigate the complex mechanics and timing of events.
The morality system and certain mechanics were noted as being poorly explained, leading to confusion about how they impact gameplay.
There are reports of bugs and issues with the user interface that can disrupt the flow of the game, making it less enjoyable for some players.

story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The story in this game is praised for its intricate and quirky narrative structure, featuring a blend of humor, mystery, and social commentary. Players appreciate the gradual unfolding of secrets and the unique character dynamics, although some critique the partial voice acting and the simplicity of certain puzzles. Overall, the game offers a compelling, replayable experience with multiple paths and endings, making it a standout in narrative-driven gameplay.
- “The structure is really exquisite, with the story (and secrets) unfolding bit by bit.”
- “The story is compelling, the characters are delightful, and the game successfully incorporates powerful feminist themes in a way that won't upset those who consider the very existence of women to be some sort of political statement.”
- “In particular, I love the way when you first 'finish' the game, the story contorts itself to reveal an even deeper layer.”
- “I didn't like how it was partially voiced; they should've just picked one or the other. The characters just seem like their entire purpose is to tell you a secret required to progress the story, but what is a man except a miserable pile of secrets anyway.”
- “There's a lot that the game wants you to find out, but the story lacks the excitement and replayability needed to make players want to keep playing.”
- “Edit: having now completed it, I'll add another point: as with Overboard before it, once you find the golden route, there really isn't much incentive to keep playing, even though there seem to be plot elements left untouched.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The gameplay of the sequel expands on the mechanics of its predecessor, "Overboard!", introducing new features like a morality system and a time-of-day mechanic that enhance replayability and narrative depth. While some players found the mechanics to be similar and occasionally confusing, many appreciated the addictive core gameplay loop and the integration of new interactions within the story. Overall, the game offers a compelling experience with a mix of well-developed narrative elements and engaging mechanics, though some players expressed a desire for further refinement in future installments.
- “Absolutely obsessed with the nice-naughty mechanic; you get worse and worse, and your choices get worse and worse, and even Mr. Snuggles becomes mean...”
- “I especially liked the mechanic where you find ways to unlock new interactions, which was integrated perfectly into the narrative as well.”
- “The core gameplay loop thus then becomes a surprisingly addictive and satisfying question of, 'well if I go here, and then do this, and then move here and do this, will that help me or uncover new information?' with you slowly working out the way to save yourself from your untimely fate as well as the other mysteries surrounding the school.”
- “I did not enjoy the frustrating experience, and gave up after several hours of gameplay.”
- “The mechanics of the morality system are a little unclear - I was confused at first as to why this was carrying over across multiple runs.”
- “Whilst sticking mostly to very similar mechanics from its predecessor, expelled!”
humor
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its quirky, witty tone and clever writing, blending dark comedy with engaging storylines and memorable characters. Players appreciate the game's ability to tackle serious themes while maintaining a lighthearted and amusing atmosphere, often leading to laugh-out-loud moments. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay experience, making it both fun and compelling.
- “Quirky and funny, with meandering storylines and characters that each have something going on.”
- “The writing is top-notch, and the way it blends humor with suspense is perfect.”
- “A strong, witty, and dark-humorous narrative game, with a super clever construction and a great rhythm.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, offering diverse solutions, intriguing subplots, and a unique narrative structure that encourages multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the bite-sized format, which allows for quick sessions while exploring different outcomes and mini-objectives. However, some feel that the story's excitement may not fully support sustained replayability.
- “Some great improvements on the already great first game that help replayability, lots of different solutions, interesting cast, and plenty of subplots to explore.”
- “All in all, it’s a short (30-45 min per run) but highly replayable game: even after many hours I'm yet to see everything there is.”
- “There's a lot that the game wants you to find out, but the story lacks the excitement and replayability needed to make players want to keep playing.”
- “The game's gimmick of you actually playing as an unreliable narrator -- and being directly responsible for the unreliability of the narrative through your input -- works really well, and gives the game a ton of replayability.”
- “With a distinctly black comedy element of developing a truly mean streak and the ultimate replayability to get all the different possible outcomes and really explore every avenue of the story and world, it's absolutely hitting my sweet spot.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some features like scene resets and fast-tracking help alleviate tedium, others, such as confusing tagging systems and repetitive maze puzzles, contribute to a sense of frustration. Overall, the need for careful decision-making can lead to tedious gameplay, though the potential for varied outcomes keeps some players engaged.
- “It can get somewhat tedious when you are trying to figure out the timing and sequence of exactly what you need to do, and picking one option can ruin the whole run if you're not careful.”
- “Tagging off things you've done is a bit confusing and the labyrinth maze puzzle gets tedious rather than being actually engaging as a labyrinth.”
- “This game is very tedious.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique art style and overall quality, complementing the well-written and adventurous story. Players appreciate the visual presentation, which enhances the immersive experience of the dense plot.
- “It's a fun visual novel game with a unique setting and art style.”
- “A well-written and adventurous story with nice graphics and a dense plot.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game features a full jazz soundtrack composed of original '20s recordings, effectively immersing players in the era. Reviewers praise the soundtrack for enhancing the game's character and humor, complementing its fantastic art and voice acting.
- “The full jazz soundtrack of original '20s recordings brings the era to life.”
- “There's a great sense of character and witty good humor throughout, with the fantastic art, voice acting, and soundtrack adding to all that.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that while the game is larger and contains some buggy scripting, these issues do not significantly disrupt the overall experience or immersion.
- “It is a larger game, and I think some of the scripting is still a bit buggy, but nothing that will really break immersion.”