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Kraken Academy

89%Game Brain Score
story, humor
replayability, grinding
89% User Score Based on 416 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchPCPCSteam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SLinuxLinuxXboxXbox
Buy Nowfrom $0.40
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About

Make friends, free spirits and make sure that the world doesn’t end! Welcome to Kraken Academy, a technicolor fever dream that for legal reasons can only be described as "technically a school." Join forces with a magical kraken to manipulate a time loop and save the world.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
Kraken Academy screenshot
+9

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 416 reviews
story124 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming and quirky cast of characters, each with unique personalities that make interactions enjoyable.
  • The humor is well-executed, providing a light-hearted experience that keeps players engaged throughout the story.
  • The time loop mechanic adds an interesting twist to gameplay, allowing for exploration and puzzle-solving in a fun and casual manner.
  • The game can feel repetitive, with limited variety in gameplay mechanics and dialogue, leading to a lack of depth in character development.
  • Some players found the controls clunky and the overall gameplay experience lacking polish, which detracted from the enjoyment.
  • The story's conclusion felt abrupt and unsatisfying for some, leaving players wanting more resolution and character growth.
  • story
    282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Kraken Academy" is a quirky and engaging narrative that revolves around time travel and character interactions, featuring a cast of memorable characters and humorous dialogue. While some players found the plot to be straightforward and occasionally cliché, many appreciated its charm and the fun side quests that enhance the overall experience. However, critiques include a lack of depth in character development and a tendency for the main storyline to feel rushed or underdeveloped.

    • “The story was actually quite enjoyable and the artworks are generally very charming.”
    • “Kraken Academy has a memorable and interesting cast of characters, and each of the clubs provides a different story.”
    • “The story is funny and engaging, and I hope to see more games from this team in the future!”
    • “The story in itself is nothing ground-breaking yet it is well written and it has amazingly animated scenes here and there.”
    • “Kinda sad they didn't expand more on the characters since the story is pretty short.”
    • “The overall plot is very basic and it doesn't feel like your character's actions change anything - and you can kind of tell what's happening in a basic sense immediately when you start the game.”
  • humor
    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely praised for its light-hearted and engaging humor, featuring a mix of quirky characters, funny dialogue, and entertaining storylines that often blend absurdity with moments of seriousness. While many players found the humor charming and original, some noted that its appeal might be subjective, with a few feeling that certain jokes fell flat or became repetitive over time. Overall, the humor is described as clever, cute, and integral to the game's enjoyable experience.

    • “Had a nice soundtrack, funny story that was engaging and heartwarming at times.”
    • “The story and characters are great and I found myself laughing lots of times.”
    • “Clever, funny, irreverent, very much worth the money and time.”
  • gameplay
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily driven by quick-time events and light puzzle-solving, which some players find engaging while others consider it simplistic and repetitive. The time travel mechanic adds a unique twist, but the overall experience can feel linear and lacking in variety, with many players emphasizing that the game is best enjoyed for its story rather than its gameplay. Despite its shortcomings, the intuitive controls and energetic pace make it a relaxing and entertaining experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.

    • “The gameplay is constantly energetic, but it has difficulty levels for the quick-time events and minigames, a solid save system, and an actually helpful quest log.”
    • “The gameplay is intuitive, simple, and easy to pick up, yet never got tiresome in my playthrough.”
    • “The time loop mechanic is very satisfying to play through and doesn't put too much pressure on the player.”
    • “This is a game to be played for the story and the writing, not the gameplay; if that doesn't appeal to you, or you discover that you don't like the writing style, you won't enjoy yourself.”
    • “The game simplifies its time-loop mechanic to six 12-hour blocks, but there isn't too much variety in what dialogue and events you can find in those blocks, so you run out of stuff to find very quickly.”
    • “The fighting is worthless, and while I don't mind quick-time events, having them be the main game mechanic makes it feel hollow and boring.”
  • graphics
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming and colorful 8-bit art style, with delightful character portraits and immersive pixel landscapes that enhance the overall experience. However, some reviewers noted that the visuals can feel overly pixelated, giving off a "homemade" vibe that may suggest budget constraints. Despite this, the aesthetics, humor, and engaging storytelling contribute to a visually appealing and enjoyable game.

    • “The visuals are great, not just the fantastic character portraits but also the pixel landscape.”
    • “The graphics are charming and cute.”
    • “Captivating storyline, nice pixelated graphics with details all around (the more you play the more you notice them) fantastic storytelling with characters you care for, missions that are fun and quirky but you won't be bored while doing them as you want to see what's next and what happens.”
    • “The graphics felt overly pixelated in a way that screamed 'making up for budget concerns' instead of being an actual flavored choice, though the character portraits helped make up for that a little bit.”
    • “However, the controls are really clunky, the graphics are...well.. a bit 'homemade' and the game is much, much too short overall.”
    • “The graphics are...well.. a bit 'homemade' and the game is much, much too short overall.”
  • music
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received high praise for its engaging and immersive soundtrack, featuring a variety of enjoyable songs that complement the colorful 8-bit art style. Players particularly highlighted the fun and memorable themes, such as the kraken's theme, which enhance the overall experience. Overall, the combination of great music, sound effects, and charming writing contributes to a delightful and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “The pros of this game include a cute and colorful 8-bit art style, immersive background music, and some fairly good jokes.”
    • “I found the soundtrack interesting and enjoyable, featuring dozens of songs created with different instruments and rhythms, but not at all out of tune with each other.”
    • “I loved the music and sound effects in the game which did a great job of making the experience more immersive!”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a compelling emotional journey, transitioning from a somber beginning to a heartwarming conclusion, enriched by a delightful soundtrack and engaging storytelling. Its blend of drama, humor, and touching moments creates a memorable experience, reminiscent of narrative-driven adventures like "Night in the Woods" and "Yuppie Psycho," while embracing a whimsical, anime-inspired absurdity. Overall, it is celebrated for its fun, cute, and wholesome atmosphere.

    • “The game is a wild ride, from a depressing start to a super wholesome end.”
    • “Kraken Academy is an excellent blend of dramatic, silly, and touching storytelling that, when combined, creates a game worth remembering for its unique presentation.”
    • “Narrative-driven adventures similar to Night in the Woods and Yuppie Psycho, featuring unique and interesting characters in a world that embraces the absurdity often seen in anime, are as heartwarming as they are goofy.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by charming pixel art, quirky humor, and endearing characters, creating an engaging and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the cute costumes and the overall polish, which enhance the game's unique vibe, making it well worth the price despite its short completion time.

    • “The costumes are cute to look at, and even though the jokes implemented are a very peculiar type of humor, they are funny and fit the atmosphere of the game itself.”
    • “Can be completed in a few hours, but the art, polish, and atmosphere of the game are completely worth the asking price.”
    • “Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first playthrough of this game and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a pixel art game with a charming atmosphere, quirky world, and surprisingly endearing characters.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, with most players noting that while it can be enjoyable to pursue achievements, the lack of significant variation in outcomes diminishes the incentive to replay. The time travel mechanics add some playability, but ultimately, the experience remains largely the same with only a few humorous variations.

    • “Not much replay value, but it's fun going after all the achievements, which isn't too hard.”
    • “There is pretty much no replayability at all other than a very few different outcomes for three things that might make you laugh for a minute or two.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the game's balanced approach to grinding, combining it with casual activities to maintain engagement. The relatively short length of the game prevents the grinding from becoming tedious, distinguishing it positively from longer titles like Yuppie Psycho.

  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with players expressing disappointment over the rushed plot and minimal dialogue options. Despite the potential of the character profiles, the execution fails to provide a satisfying depth to the characters.

    • “There is no character development to a satisfying degree.”
    • “Cute concept but a very rushed plot - lacking character development, really, and unsure as to why you would give them character profiles if you only get 2 or 3 different dialogues out of them.”

Buy Kraken Academy

5h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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