MetaWare High School Demo

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MetaWare High School Demo is a single player action game. It was developed by Not Fun Games and was released on April 2, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Each character was assigned to give a statement to be posted on this store page. Their responses are below: CHRIS: Hello! I’m so excited that you’re considering playing our game! I'll tell you as much as I can. So we're actually not the full game. We're the demo! No one knows if the real game is out yet or not, or what genre we're really supposed to be....it's kind of confusing. But that's just f…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 602 reviews

humor64 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The original concept and setting of a dating simulator where characters are aware they are in a demo is intriguing and engaging.
The characters are well-written and memorable, with humorous and emotional dialogue that resonates with players.
The visual style, while simple, is charming and fits the overall tone of the game, enhancing the experience.

The demo is quite short and ends abruptly, leaving players wanting more content and a sense of completion.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and straightforward, primarily revolving around dialogue choices without much variation.
There are long pauses between dialogue that can disrupt the flow of the game, making it feel slower than necessary.

humor
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its chaotic, absurd, and self-aware nature, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. Many reviews highlight the clever writing and character interactions that balance comedic moments with deeper emotional themes, making the experience both entertaining and thought-provoking. While some find the humor occasionally odd or inconsistent, the overall consensus is that it significantly enhances the game's charm and replayability.
- “This game really confirmed my love for silly/ironic visual novels; the writing is really good, very funny and deep at times, and the soundtrack is spot on, perfectly representing character, intent, and emotions.”
- “The humor and characters are wonderful, and it felt rewarding to play through it multiple times.”
- “Self-aware indie games may seem a bit overdone, but Metaware stands out with how it pushes it, giving it a very absurd, charming sense of humor while still being thought-provoking at many points.”
- “I think I would have preferred it if the game was purely about demo jokes among other things, but I can imagine how limited that would be after a while, and it would get unfunny fast if there wasn't a strong reason to keep playing the game.”
story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, emotional impact, and engaging characters, with many players noting its ability to provoke thought and evoke strong feelings. Reviewers appreciate the clever use of meta-narrative elements and the balance of humor and seriousness, making it a standout experience in the visual novel genre. Despite some minor criticisms regarding pacing and plot holes, the overall consensus is that the story is compelling and well-crafted, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “Unfortunately, the storytelling method is not so fascinating.”
- “It leaves too much to be skeptical about; too many things about what happened in the 10 endings were full of too many plot holes from a demonstration that's supposed to encourage you to play more.”
- “A story that extends to the meta isn't all that impressive these days, but a game that actively involves the player as an element would have been cool.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and diverse soundtrack, effectively enhancing the overall experience and emotional depth of the narrative. Players appreciate the variety of tunes, from cheerful melodies to more somber tracks, which complement the game's quirky characters and humor. Many reviewers recommend purchasing the soundtrack, highlighting its quality and the nostalgic references embedded within the music.
- “The demo doesn't have many settings (because it doesn't really need to), yet it still offers a large variety of music in its soundtrack.”
- “This game really confirmed my love for silly/ironic visual novels, the writing is really good, very funny and deep at times, and the soundtrack is spot on, perfectly representing character, intent, and emotions.”
- “The soundtrack is quite nice, giving a mix of happy cheerful tunes, ominous ambient music, and a final sad credit song.”
- “Music from the main menu will be stuck for a couple of days.”
- “The other technical aspects of this game work well with average music and a suitable interface.”
- “The music is touching, the art style is charming, and the dialogue... well, it's something you ought to experience yourself.”
emotional
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game has been widely praised, with many players reporting intense feelings ranging from laughter to deep sadness, often leading to tears. The narrative's ability to blend humor with poignant moments creates a powerful emotional roller coaster, leaving players reflecting on their choices and the impact of the characters. While some endings may lack emotional depth, the overall experience is described as touching and transformative, making it a memorable journey for many.
- “This game made me cry so hard, and video games barely make me cry.”
- “I absolutely adore the unique characters of this game, as they truly make the game interactive and touching.”
- “This game sent me on an emotional roller coaster and I absolutely wish I found it sooner!”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The graphics of the game feature a simplistic and charming art style that initially seems rudimentary but grows on players as they progress, enhancing the overall experience. The unique choice of characters without eyes adds to the game's quirky atmosphere, fitting well with its demo theme and often eliciting humor. While some minor graphic bugs are noted, they contribute to the game's charm rather than detract from it, making the visuals an integral part of its appeal.
- “The art style grew more charming the more I played, as did the characters.”
- “The artwork backgrounds and the characters are simplistic yet achieve their purpose while also offering a unique look to each character through hair color, their hairstyles, and subtle differences to their uniforms.”
- “The music is touching, the art style is charming, and the dialogue... well, it's something you ought to experience yourself.”
- “I was expecting a game with a kind of lazy art style at first; I thought the lack of eyes was a weird choice, and I assumed I was in for a completely mediocre experience.”
- “Befitting the 'incomplete' nature of a demo game, the art style is rather different than what one would expect from a complete product.”
- “There are a few spelling errors and just the odd graphic bug, such as my personal favorite 'the double mouth', which I felt really added to the fact it was a funny scene and gave the character a funny-looking double chin.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay in this visual/interactive novel is primarily focused on clicking through dialogue, which some users find poorly written and lacking depth. While the fourth-wall breaking comedy detracts from traditional gameplay elements, the charming characters and multiple endings provide some engaging choices, though the overall mechanics remain underdeveloped. Despite some lengthy sections, the story and gameplay are still considered interesting by certain players.
- “All the characters are charming in their own way, and all the endings are interesting, allowing you to try multiple combinations of choices to get a good amount of gameplay.”
- “Some parts are too long, but the story and gameplay are quite interesting.”
- “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 poses the question, 'How did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “I'm actually quite disappointed that the fourth-wall breaking comedy got in the way of more traditional gameplay, as I would like to learn more about the girls and really understand their personalities.”
- “You might've noticed I'm not giving a lot of detail about the gameplay or mechanics.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique art style and engaging character design, which contribute to a blend of humor and meaningful dialogue. While it occasionally hints at darker themes, it avoids traditional horror elements, leaving players intrigued yet comfortable. Overall, the atmosphere effectively enhances the storytelling and character exploration, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “I enjoyed the characters, the different routes, the often funny and sometimes meaningful dialogue, and the unique art style and atmosphere.”
- “10/10 game, love the character design and story and music and atmosphere - can't wait to see where this goes!”
- “Lots of paths to explore and great humor and setting of atmosphere!”
- “It's totally not although when you finished a route, Nari would sometimes make it look like a horror game, but nope, it isn't either. At some point, I was at the edge of my seat expecting a Nari screamer or jumpscare, but that doesn't happen at all even if the atmosphere is set for it. I gave this game a try because I liked the artwork of it, even if they don't have any eyes. They look cute like that, although when the atmosphere gets a dark tone, it is kind of unnerving that they don't have eyes... but it's okay, I liked that too!”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels and e-books can be tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you've ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or even 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature). Now, translate that into 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.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged. It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be incredibly frustrating. Instead of enjoying the story or gameplay, I'm stuck in a loop of mindless tasks that seem to serve no purpose.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers a brief playtime of 20-30 minutes for a single ending, but its replayability is enhanced by the opportunity to explore multiple endings, encouraging players to revisit the experience.
- “The game offers a variety of choices that lead to multiple endings, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With its branching storylines and diverse character interactions, I found myself wanting to replay the game to explore every possible outcome.”
- “This is a fun and charming little visual novel you can finish in about 20-30 minutes if you just get a single ending, but the replayability comes from getting all of the different endings!”
- “Once you've seen all the endings, there's little incentive to play again, making the replayability quite limited.”
- “While the game offers multiple endings, the lack of significant differences between them diminishes the overall replayability.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development in the game is praised for its unique design and engaging story, contributing to an immersive atmosphere. However, some users noted the absence of eyes in character designs, which may be a point of contention. Overall, the combination of character design and narrative has left players excited for future developments.
- “10/10 game, love the character design and story and music and atmosphere - can't wait to see where this goes!”
- “The character designs don't include eyes?”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional and unrelatable.”

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3h Median play time

4h Average play time

3-3h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

MetaWare High School Demo is a action game.

MetaWare High School Demo is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing MetaWare High School Demo.

MetaWare High School Demo was released on April 2, 2020.

MetaWare High School Demo was developed by Not Fun Games.

MetaWare High School Demo has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its gameplay.

MetaWare High School Demo is a single player game.

Similar games include I Wani Hug that Gator!, Moe Era, YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story, Carpe Diem, Slay the Princess and others.

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