Gakuen Club

About

"Gakuen Club" is a Japanese visual novel game that follows the story of the protagonist, who transfers to a new school and joins the school's drama club. The game features multiple character routes, each with their own unique stories and romance options. Players will make choices throughout the game that will affect the outcome of the story and their relationships with the other characters. The game is fully voiced in Japanese and features beautiful illustrations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

story13 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The art and voice acting are beautiful, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
Each love interest has a unique story, providing varied experiences across different routes.
The game offers a light and entertaining narrative, making it a pleasant break from more intense otome games.

The game is short, with routes averaging around 2-3 hours, leading to a feeling of insufficient content for the price.
There are very few choices available, making the gameplay feel more like reading a kinetic novel than an interactive experience.
The storylines are often formulaic and predictable, lacking depth and character development.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The story is generally described as enjoyable but simplistic, featuring a main character, Akane, navigating a prestigious school while interacting with six distinct love interests, each with their own backstory. However, many reviewers find the plot predictable and repetitive, often feeling like a collection of tropes commonly seen in shojo manga. While the art and voice acting are praised, the overall narrative lacks depth and engagement, leading some to suggest it may not be worth the full price.
- “The main character named Akane, the characters you can choose from for the route, I love seeing that each male character has their own personal story.”
- “The storylines were interesting, the characters were unique, the art and voices were lovely, but I couldn't help feeling the romance just didn't hit the mark for me.”
- “I personally loved this one and enjoyed the storylines and characters across the board.”
- “The story is so simple and cliché.”
- “The storyline for each route pretty much goes: guy meets girl > girl is curious about guy > girl watches (stalks) him while she should be working > girl finds out guy has a problem > girl tries to help guy > guy ends up liking girl because she's worried about him.”
- “Every route repeats the same story pattern, and the story is so plain that you can see this kind of story in every shojo manga or soap opera.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with good background scores and clear voice acting, although some players find it repetitive and occasionally mismatched with the scene's mood. While the overall quality is appreciated, some reviewers feel it doesn't fully justify the game's high price tag.
- “The arts, music, and story are all good.”
- “The CGs, sprites, and backgrounds are all lovely, and so is the background music.”
- “Background music is well done, and the voice actors were clear and articulate, though at times it seems like there was a slight echo to them.”
- “Repetitive music, nothing special even for Renji's route where he played several piano pieces.”
- “It's a nice game, but it's full of tropes and it's too expensive in my opinion for what you get. The amount of money spent on voice acting, art, and music aside, the story doesn't feel interactive enough even with six romance options to justify the steep price tag.”
- “Background music is well done and the voice actors were clear and articulate, though at times it seems like there was a slight echo to them.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are widely praised for their beautiful art style and stunning visuals, contributing to an overall impressive aesthetic experience. Many players highlight the quality of the artwork, although some express a desire for even higher expectations based on previous titles from the publisher.
- “The art style is really pretty and the voice acting is amazing.”
- “Pretty visuals.”
- “The graphics are so goddamn awesome.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The gameplay has been criticized for feeling overly guided, with players feeling that the game makes too many decisions for them. Additionally, the lack of a skip button and mediocre mechanics have led some to question the game's value at its price point. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as lacking depth and engagement.
- “Game mechanics 3/5”
- “It's like the game is deciding half of the gameplay for us.”
- “Gameplay-wise, I don't really think this game is worth $30.”
- “I guess the lack of a skip button could make the gameplay a little longer, but that's not really a good thing.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the developers' efforts in creating a strong emotional anchor through the character, highlighting her role as a pivotal and relatable figure within the group dynamic.
- “I actually didn't mind since this time around I felt the devs did a great job of making her an emotional touchstone and the rocky foundation of the group.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers express a desire for more engaging character development in plots, emphasizing the need for deeper interactions and storylines that allow characters to connect meaningfully, rather than relying on simplistic or clichéd scenarios.
- “I love how the character development unfolds throughout the game, allowing players to truly connect with the characters and their journeys.”
- “The depth of character development is impressive; each character feels unique and their growth is both believable and engaging.”
- “The game excels in character development, providing rich backstories and meaningful interactions that enhance the overall experience.”
- “We need more plots that have character development, where the girl gets to know him through a more interesting storyline, rather than just falling in love with her because she asks, 'Are you alright?'”
- “The character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving me disconnected from their journeys.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of depth in the characters; they felt more like stereotypes than fully realized individuals.”