Freshman Year

About

Freshman Year is a single player action game. It was developed by Stephen Lawrence Clark and was released on April 20, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Freshman Year is a vignette game about an ordinary night in the life a college freshman named Nina. Nina's best friend Jenna invites her to meet up at a local bar with some classmates. Jenna is sort of flaky though, so Nina has to navigate the party by herself. You play as Nina, texting with her friend Jenna as you mingle, dance, drink and wait.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Freshman Year effectively conveys a powerful message about sexual assault and the experiences of young women, making it an important narrative to engage with.
The game's art style and audio design create a haunting atmosphere that enhances the emotional impact of the story.
As a free game, it offers a brief yet thought-provoking experience that can spark important conversations about consent and personal safety.

The gameplay is minimal, with choices that do not significantly affect the outcome, leading to a feeling of lack of agency for the player.
The story is very short, taking only about 5 minutes to complete, which may leave players wanting more depth and resolution.
Some players find the portrayal of the subject matter to be too blunt or lacking in nuance, potentially alienating those who might benefit from a more subtle approach.

story
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
84%
3%
The story is a short, autobiographical visual novel that explores the protagonist Nina's traumatic experience with sexual assault during her freshman year of college. While it aims to convey a poignant message about the realities of such experiences, the narrative is linear with minimal player choices that do not affect the outcome, leading to mixed reviews regarding its depth and engagement. Overall, it resonates with some players for its emotional impact, though others find it lacking in character development and storytelling finesse.
- “It's a very short but poignant and relatable story, and the way the various paths converge conveys a pretty strong message.”
- “A haunting, powerful experience, made all the more chilling by the knowledge that this is a true story.”
- “This is an autobiographical visual short story, rather than a game.”
- “The police were never mentioned in this story, nor did Jenna even think to dial the police with the given plot points we've now faced.”
- “There are choices you can take, but they don't change the story as it's linear and already has a conclusion in mind.”
- “You make 3 or 4 choices that make no impact on what happens; it looks like a 10-year-old drew it with crayons, and the story is about as subtle as a brick through a window.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
63%
14%
The graphics of this autobiographical visual novel are described as having a unique and thought-provoking hand-painted art style, though opinions vary on its quality, with some noting it as mediocre and low in animation. The visuals effectively complement the emotional weight of the narrative, enhancing the overall atmosphere with moody music and abrupt shifts that underscore the protagonist's experiences. While the artwork is appreciated for its aesthetic choices, some reviewers feel it is underutilized given the brevity and impact of the story.
- “Has a nice hand-painted art style and some moody music.”
- “Unique graphics, and a story that threw me for a loop.”
- “The visuals and audio work well to set the mood and convey emotion.”
- “The art style is mediocre, the length is around 3-7 minutes and the story isn't really a story, but instead it's just a scenario.”
- “The visuals are pretty, but I guess the creator of the pictures should rather draw for a magazine or draw comics; it's just wasted talent here since the story doesn't deliver anything worthwhile in the ~2 minutes 'playtime'.”
- “-quirky art style and very low animation quality that is fitting for the action (trying not to drop spoilers for a story that takes less than 5 minutes)”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt and impactful storytelling, with players noting its ability to evoke strong feelings through sound design and visual shifts. Many reviewers highlight the game's exploration of sensitive themes, such as vulnerability and trauma, which resonate deeply and leave a lasting impression. Overall, the game is seen as a significant artistic achievement in its emotional depth, encouraging players to engage with its themes thoughtfully.
- “I remember it as a really heartfelt experience that has really stuck with me in the 10 years since I've played it.”
- “If you measure art by the ability to have an emotional impact on an individual, then to me, this is art.”
- “Nina's games tend to express an emotional vulnerability which is rare in any medium, and rarer still in the world of games -- even considering the indie world.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The music in the game is described as atmospheric and impactful, effectively setting a creepy tone that enhances the emotional depth of the narrative. While some players found the background music to start off well, it can become stressful as the story progresses, contributing to the overall tension. The combination of beautiful art and a well-crafted soundtrack is praised for its ability to resonate with players and elevate the game's message.
- “The writing is good and the art suits it well, the soundtrack is the escalator you're walking on towards the conclusion.”
- “Beautiful art, intimate writing, and an excellent soundtrack help convey a personal story that resonates universally.”
- “I think the abrupt shifts in the visuals and music sell the emotional impact of the climax very well, and I like the way the game has you repeatedly look down at your phone as the protagonist gets increasingly nervous.”
- “The visual is particular but not really to my taste; the background music starts okayish and as you move forward in the story it turns into a stressful noise.”
- “The art style goes well with the creepy music and strange pacing.”
- “While not precisely what you would call a game per se, the intent is clear: a short 2 min session that carries a message where the art and music/sound effects blend in to make it more impacting.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay of this visual/interactive novel is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through poorly written dialogue with limited choices that lead to similar outcomes. While the art and music are praised, many reviewers suggest that the experience would be better suited as an animated short rather than a game, as the mechanics feel tangential and the overall gameplay is lacking.
- “The art and music are beautiful and the implications of the game mechanics are especially compelling regarding the impact of choice.”
- “The art and music reminded me a little of Braid, even though the gameplay is entirely different.”
- “It's short and it doesn't have a lot of 'gameplay'.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which presents the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “There's not much gameplay to this 'game'; you can make different choices, but the outcome is the same.”
- “It's short and it doesn't have a lot of gameplay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening it to a frustrating experience where progress is slowed by the need to click through text at a snail's pace. This repetitive clicking detracts from the enjoyment of the narrative, making it feel laborious and time-consuming.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, but it compensates for this with a strong emotional impact that resonates with players.
- “Limited replay value.”
- “While it has limited replayability, it still packs an emotional wallop.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is heavily praised for its atmospheric music, which establishes a creepy tone, and its ability to convey deep emotional weight, creating an immersive audiovisual experience that resonates with players.
- “The atmospheric music sets a very creepy tone.”
- “This is an audiovisual short story that transports a lot of atmosphere and a lot of hurt.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity, often eliciting laughter from players even in seemingly inappropriate contexts.
- “The scene in which it happened looked pretty ridiculous; it's not nice to say, but I was laughing when I saw it.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is not a focal point, as players perceive the experience more as an "artistic performance" rather than a traditional narrative-driven game, suggesting that performance and technical aspects may not be prioritized.