Sunrider Academy

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You are Kayto Shields, an ordinary man thrown into an extraordinary adventure. Control Kayto's day to day life as well as his responsibilities as club manager in this stat management sim.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 619 reviews

story123 positive mentions

grinding62 negative mentions

The writing is funny and clever, providing an engaging experience.
The artwork is well done, with appealing character designs and backgrounds.
The characters are diverse and interesting, making it likely for players to find a favorite.

The gameplay can feel tedious and repetitive, with excessive clicking and grinding.
There are many typos and grammar issues that detract from the reading experience.
The lack of voice acting and limited sound effects can make the game feel less immersive.

story
364 mentions
34 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in this visual novel is generally well-received, featuring distinct character arcs and engaging narratives that can evoke emotional responses. However, many players criticize the pacing, noting that excessive stat management and long gaps between story events detract from the overall experience, making it feel tedious at times. While the writing and character development are praised, the repetitive gameplay often overshadows the narrative, leading to mixed feelings about the game's storytelling quality.
- “Each love interest has their own distinct personality and storylines, and the player's choices throughout the game will shape the relationships they develop.”
- “The story is both the strongest aspect I can give something, but also the heartiest 8.5 I can muster.”
- “The characters, the story, the drama, the romance, it was soooooo good.”
- “The story is nothing to write home about, and the art simply fails to prop up the story or setting in any way. I tried to like it, but I just can't.”
- “The game can have you go in-game weeks of clicking and clicking for stat gains with 0 story going on.”
- “The biggest problem I found is that the interactions with the characters happen very infrequently, often not at all for days at a time in the game. You'll find yourself repeating those tasks over and over just waiting for a club competition to take place, or someone's birthday, or a holiday event so you actually get some of the story.”
gameplay
111 mentions
16 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sunrider Academy" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of visual novel elements and time management mechanics that many players find tedious and repetitive. While the branching narrative and character interactions are engaging, the stat management and RNG-based mechanics often detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. Despite its appealing story and character design, the gameplay can feel grindy and lacks depth, making it less enjoyable for those seeking a more dynamic experience.
- “The game features a branching narrative with multiple love interests, as well as gameplay elements such as character customization and strategic battles.”
- “The gameplay is enjoyable, with a mix of visual novel-style dialogue choices and strategic battles that add a bit of variety to the experience.”
- “Overall, Sunrider Academy is a well-crafted visual novel with engaging characters, enjoyable gameplay, and excellent production values.”
- “It's just the stat management gameplay that makes it so incredibly boring and tedious.”
- “The game isn't hard; it just makes management (which is the core game mechanic) annoying to do.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the daily management sim is uninspired and soon becomes a chore.”
music
75 mentions
48 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its catchiness and ability to enhance the gaming experience without becoming annoying over time. While some find the soundtrack beautiful and atmospheric, others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety, with a few tracks described as subpar. Overall, the music is generally considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to its ambiance and emotional impact.
- “The graphics and soundtrack are both top-notch, and the overall production values of the game are impressive.”
- “The music is chill and makes the game really relaxing.”
- “The mood and the music are truly awesome; I love these devs' games.”
- “Hahahaha.. no but enjoy those 3 godawful music tracks looping in the background.”
- “Both developers have no taste when it comes to music and the sound effects in the world are non-existent.”
- “The soundtrack is small, so playing for long time periods can make it sound repetitive.”
grinding
63 mentions
5 % positive mentions
-3 % neutral mentions
98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story and character interactions. Many players find the stat management and daily activities to be a slog, with some noting that the experience can feel like a "grinding nightmare." While the engaging story and characters can make the grind somewhat bearable for some, the overwhelming consensus is that the gameplay mechanics are overly grindy and can lead to significant boredom.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
- “The biggest problem is the gameplay; you could cut the amount of activities in half, or halve the timeline, and it would still feel like a tedious slog.”
- “It's just the stat management gameplay that makes it so incredibly boring and tedious.”
- “The constant grinding of stats, added onto the chance of missing an important event just because you don't have enough time in a day to check every single location without spamming your save/load buttons over and over again, will leave all but the most hardcore stat grinding lovers weeping in pain.”
humor
54 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding the writing clever and funny, often enhanced by inside jokes and references to previous titles in the series. While there are moments of genuine hilarity and emotional depth, some players note that the humor can be inconsistent, with parts feeling forced or overshadowed by dull gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a mix of light-hearted and occasionally dark humor, making it an enjoyable experience for those who appreciate its comedic elements.
- “I found the writing to be actually very funny and clever, which was unexpected.”
- “I personally loved the inside jokes about SR:MOA and the overall humor of the game.”
- “The story is freaking hilarious and gets you hooked in and makes you feel for poor Mr. Shields, and is quite fun to play!”
graphics
43 mentions
58 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their high quality, with well-executed artwork that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the impressive character designs and backgrounds, noting that the art style effectively sets the tone and mood of the game. While some mention minor issues, the consensus is that the visuals are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the enjoyment of the game.
- “The graphics and soundtrack are both top-notch, and the overall production values of the game are impressive.”
- “The game's art style is also very nice, and definitely does its job in setting the tone and mood for the game.”
- “At its core it is a simple visual novel but it adds so much more to the experience and provides beautiful visuals, interesting characters, and emotional storytelling.”
- “Cheap graphics, medium storyline and Ava is really annoying... good thing you can actually enjoy the game on waifu mode - just for the kicks 6/10”
- “The visuals are... of course visual novel quality, which means 2D static art for the most part, but it is drawn very well, though for me it seems a bit... different from a traditional Japanese style visual novel.”
- “If you tolerate visual novels, anime-like graphics, and grind, of course.”
emotional
24 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its ability to evoke a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears, through engaging character storylines and heartfelt themes. Many reviewers appreciate the boldness of addressing sensitive topics and the depth of emotional investment in the characters, making it a standout experience in the visual novel and dating sim genres. Despite some minor critiques regarding dialogue and pacing, the overall sentiment is that the game successfully delivers a touching and memorable emotional journey.
- “The plots for each character will engage you: hold on for heart-wrenching twists on this rollercoaster ride of emotions!”
- “A game that is willing to tackle a matter like this head-on, treating it like any other school as opposed to some 'school for the mentally deficient' is so bold and heartwarming that it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.”
- “Each route has a really different and interesting story that got me pretty emotionally invested in it.”
optimization
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for being chaotic and lacking in performance, with players noting a need for more content to enhance gameplay variety. However, it does run smoothly and features user-friendly menus, indicating some positive aspects of its optimization. Overall, further improvements are necessary to enhance the gaming experience.
- “It runs smoothly and has neat and accessible menus.”
- “Choose what to do in your day, whether it's a walk, training, or trying to improve the performance of the club.”
- “Each will have an effect on their performance during competitions, which is important for winning prestige.”
- “There are a lot of ways of doing this, and in this game it’s a little chaotic and not very optimized.”
- “The performance might also be a problem as well.”
- “Still, this game needs more optimization; in later months, what I am doing is quite monotonous and needs more content like side stories or something to fill the date.”
character development
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as adequate but not exceptional, with some routes offering interesting plots that enhance the experience. While the character designs are improved and distinct, the depth of character growth is considered a fun diversion rather than a standout feature. Overall, players appreciate the visual and auditory enhancements, though the development itself is seen as somewhat superficial.
- “The character designs are all reasonably grounded; there are no crazy hair or overly stylized outfits, and each of the characters is easily distinguishable by more than just hair.”
- “Character development is fine, which is also included almost perfectly into this game.”
- “Still, she has more character development than either of the above, so it's cool.”
- “Character development is minimal and feels forced, lacking depth and meaningful progression.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, making it hard to invest in their journeys.”
- “While the visuals are impressive, the character development fails to engage, leaving the story feeling flat.”
stability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches that hinder task completion and can lead to frustrating error screens. Players report that these issues often stem from random events that are not clearly communicated, significantly detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Filled with bugs and glitches that prevent you from completing tasks on time (or at all), or worse, sending you to a Ren'Py error screen forcing you to rollback.”
- “Like I just mentioned, bugs and glitches appear... these sometimes are created due to you not encountering a specific event first... because of RNG... and apparently you should be aware of those unknown events... somehow.”
- “Edit: switched to not recommended because the buggy parts of the game destroyed any sort of enjoyment I had left.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, featuring well-developed girl characters, each contributing to a rich narrative experience. The high-quality art style and a diverse, fitting soundtrack enhance the overall ambiance, with music that is engaging and complements the scenes without becoming repetitive or annoying. Overall, the game successfully creates an immersive environment that resonates with players.
- “As far as I can tell, this is a high-quality novel with a great art style and a varying soundtrack that fits the atmosphere.”
- “Oh god, what a time to have a hearing sense! Almost every single track in this game is either bouncy, chilling, soothing, or beautifully atmospheric. The amount of tracks is great, and while the game is kind of samey due to the stat management aspect, none of these songs gets cringey or annoying.”
- “I know it shouldn't be surprising, but after playing dozens of visual novels with the same looping music that never reflects the atmosphere of the scenes... it truly is.”
- “I know, it shouldn't be something surprising, but after playing dozens of visual novels with the same looping music that never reflects the atmosphere of the scenes... it truly is.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users generally feel that the game lacks replayability, indicating that it does not encourage players to return after completing it.
- “It really kills the replay value.”
- “There's not much incentive to play through the game again.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”