Rocwood Academy

About

Rocwood Academy is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by DigiLab Interaction and was released on December 13, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Rocwood Academy" is a text-based choice-matters adventure game set in a hidden wizard world in the early 1900s US society. As a first-year student, make decisions on friends, spells, teachers and gather wizardry items to create your own spell decks. Encounter and combat mysterious creatures like Owl Griffin, Snarly Yow, and Wendig to complete your wizardry adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

story27 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

The game features a surprisingly enjoyable narrative with a unique twist on familiar magic school tropes, making it engaging for fans of the genre.
The art style and character designs are cute and appealing, contributing to a whimsical atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
Despite its simplicity, the card-based battle system adds a fun diversion from the reading, and the game offers multiple branching paths for replayability.

The writing and character development are often criticized as shallow, with many choices feeling inconsequential and leading to a linear experience.
There are numerous grammar and spelling errors throughout the game, which detract from immersion and overall enjoyment.
The combat system is seen as underwhelming and disconnected from the main narrative, with battles having little impact on the story progression.

story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The story is engaging and draws heavily from familiar wizard school tropes, particularly reminiscent of Harry Potter, yet it incorporates unique twists and character depth that keep players entertained. While the narrative is generally simple and somewhat predictable, it features branching paths and a few intriguing plot twists, setting the stage for potential sequels. However, the lack of significant impact from combat on the story and some repetitive dialogue choices detract from the overall experience.
- “The story is engaging and keeps you away from this cruel reality.”
- “The story turns out surprisingly unique and makes me really look forward to year 2 story.”
- “It's nice to experience the story unravel around you and these characters that you learn to love.”
- “The story is simple, does not force you to think too much, and consists of a bunch of clichés neatly wired together.”
- “Far too many typos and grammatical errors prevent this charming (if familiar) wizard student story from hooking players.”
- “The battles don't affect the main plot in any way, and it's just a cute little card game; a bit inconsequential but a simple, nice diversion from all the reading.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
46%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, featuring a cartoony/anime aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the polished animations and tasteful character designs, which contribute to a professional feel. The visuals, combined with a fitting soundtrack, create an engaging atmosphere that many find appealing.
- “Beautiful graphics and soundtrack, simple commands, and a neat twist ending that left me curious for what comes next.”
- “The visuals are great and very pleasing, with very nice animations that make the game feel very professional and polished.”
- “The artwork is cute and tasteful and the music selection is fitting to the scenes.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The music in the game is generally praised for its whimsical and fitting nature, enhancing the overall experience with beautiful soundtracks that complement the artwork and gameplay. However, some users noted that the music can become repetitive at times. Overall, the sound design effectively supports the storytelling and game pace.
- “I had no problems with this game at all, and the music and sound effects sound like a whimsical magical tune to listen to in the background.”
- “The artwork is cute and tasteful, and the music selection is fitting to the scenes.”
- “And the music and sound design fit the storytelling and gameplay perfectly.”
- “Just the music sounds repetitive at times.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The gameplay is a unique blend of narrative-driven elements and simple battle mechanics, featuring a card combat system within a fantasy setting. While the mechanics are enjoyable and innovative, some players felt that clearer tutorials would enhance understanding, especially during critical battles. Overall, the game is well-received for its engaging gameplay and fitting audio design.
- “Surprisingly enjoyable narrative game with some simple battle gameplay elements.”
- “It's really unique, and this is the first text-based game that I played with this kind of mechanics.”
- “The game mechanics are really nice, but if anything is weird or needs to be changed, the devs listen.”
- “A way to see the tutorial or instructions again would have been nice, as it was I only truly understood the mechanics during the last battle in the story (because the enemy wombo combo was busted).”
- “Rocwood Academy is an adventure casual indie game that mixes the 'swipe right-left' mechanic with a 'card combat system' inside a fantasy magic universe.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive and diverse character designs, which are complemented by beautiful artwork and engaging storytelling. Players appreciate the fun and immersive nature of the narrative, enhancing their connection to the characters. Overall, the combination of visual appeal and compelling story contributes to a positive reception of character development.
- “The art is nice, the character designs are great, and most importantly, the story is fun and engaging.”
- “I really enjoyed the character designs, and I enjoy the choice-based gameplay.”
- “I just love the character design of this game; it's so cool!”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game successfully creates a relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere reminiscent of a magical school, providing enjoyable moments for players. However, the overall experience is marred by flat character development and aimless gameplay, which detracts from the immersive potential of the setting.
- “If you like the atmosphere of the school of magic, then the game will give you a couple of pleasant hours.”
- “It has a relaxed and lighthearted atmosphere.”
- “It does a decent job setting up the atmosphere, but the characters are generally flat and do not develop; most of the game is aimless faffing around.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its occasionally amusing dialogues, complemented by appealing artwork.
- “The humor in this game is spot on, with clever jokes that keep you laughing.”
- “I love the witty banter between characters; it adds so much charm to the gameplay.”
- “The comedic timing in the dialogues is fantastic, making even the serious moments feel lighthearted.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's replayability is somewhat limited due to the absence of a fast forward option for skipping to choices, which can hinder quick replays. However, the presence of an achievements section and multiple paths (at least four) offers players the opportunity to unlock new stories and side stories, enhancing overall replay value.
- “The achievements section looks to be easy to get, with at least four different paths to explore, providing plenty of replayability and new stories or side stories to unlock.”
- “I also noticed that, like a lot of Unity-based visual novels, there is no fast forward option for skipping to only the choices, which limits the replay value.”
- “The achievements section looks to be easy to get, with at least four different paths to explore, providing plenty of replayability and certainly new stories or side stories to unlock.”