The Classrooms
- October 28, 2022
- Hillcrest Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Classrooms" is a single-player, narrative-driven psychological horror game set in the eerie and abandoned Hillcrest High School. Uncover the chilling events that led to the sudden disappearance of the students and faculty as you navigate through the ominous classrooms and hallways. Solve puzzles and uncover disturbing secrets while avoiding grotesque creatures that lurk around every corner. Can you escape the horrors of Hillcrest?
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and terrifying atmosphere, with well-designed monsters that keep players on edge.
- Procedurally generated levels enhance replayability, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and unpredictable.
- The sound design is exceptional, contributing significantly to the horror experience and immersing players in the game's unsettling environment.
- Some levels, particularly the Poolrooms, are criticized for being overly difficult and frustrating, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- The game suffers from optimization issues, causing lag and crashes on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- Certain mechanics, such as the doll's aggressive behavior and the AI of the enemies, can feel unbalanced and lead to frustrating encounters.
- gameplay36 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its intense and engaging mechanics, featuring randomized maps and diverse monsters that enhance replayability and atmosphere. While many players appreciate the unique abilities of the creatures and the introduction of new gameplay elements in each level, some criticize certain mechanics as unnecessary or confusing, leading to frustrating experiences. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and challenge, though opinions vary on its execution and depth.
“Great horror game, awesome graphics as well, the gameplay of completing each level is different and every map randomizes every area, perfect in my opinion!”
“Intense gameplay and diverse monsters with unique abilities.”
“The gameplay is amazing and the way you enter the different rooms is breathtaking!”
“Pointless mechanics like the newly added stink meter.”
“Overall this game is just an awful mishmash of ideas and mechanics, plopped into a backrooms-style setting for all of the 7-year-olds obsessed with SCP and the backrooms to just completely adore this game and overlook any flaws it has because they don't know any better, they just like being in the creepy liminal spaces.”
“Gameplay gets stale after the first playthrough.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively combining horror elements with engaging level design and sound. Many players appreciate the tension created by the environment and the unique monster designs, although some feel that the music could enhance the experience further. Overall, the game successfully evokes a sense of dread and intrigue, making it a standout feature for players.
“Love the atmosphere and difficulty.”
“The atmosphere is spooky yet intriguing and the story and documents found throughout are very interesting.”
“Absolute nightmare fuel... atmosphere was everything.”
“The atmosphere had me on edge as well as the sounds and music.”
“A blend of backrooms and SCP lore; the style and atmosphere stand out as foreboding while the other more... shall we say interactive components give a healthy dose of well-timed and not overused jump scares.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their outstanding quality and attention to detail, effectively creating a creepy and immersive horror aesthetic. Players appreciate the unique visual style, including a nostalgic 1990s vibe and well-designed entities, although some users have reported performance issues on lower-end systems that affect the overall experience. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the gameplay and horror elements.
“Great horror game, awesome graphics as well. The gameplay of completing each level is different, and every map randomizes every area, perfect in my opinion!”
“The attention to detail in recreating this whole world of 1990s empty-school-at-night aesthetics is truly moving.”
“Graphics are beautiful, and I am surprised that it worked so well with ultrawide.”
“I give it a thumbs up only because it was a fun game for what little I was able to play of it. It has a lot of potential, but the constant issues made me uninstall. If you're on the low end when it comes to graphics for your computer, or even barely over the recommended specs like I was, I don't recommend buying the game as it will plague you with constant glitches, frame rate drops, and crashes no matter how low you turn the game graphics down. This sadly brings my verdict to a 5/10. Seeing it's still early access, they may fix that issue, to which I would definitely try again because it was very enjoyable... when it worked.”
“Graphically and aesthetically: creepy, uncanny, and good quality, the entities have scary designs too.”
“Creepy play on sound and visuals which can get very confusing when you hear something but it's further down the hall or another corner, so it can get freaky.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story in the game is primarily conveyed through documents and notes, which some players find intriguing and effective, while others feel it lacks depth and development, especially in its early access state. Many reviewers express a desire for a more immersive single-player narrative and additional content, such as co-op modes and new levels, to enhance the storytelling experience. Overall, while the atmosphere and concept are praised, the narrative currently feels underdeveloped and reliant on exploration rather than a cohesive plot.
“The atmosphere is spooky yet intriguing, and the story and documents found throughout are very interesting.”
“I look forward to the full release and will absolutely be playing it through to experience the story that is yet to take hold on the game.”
“The graphics, controls, and story are solid, and the progression of the story through found pages is effective; the codex pages are the creepiest part of the game, and well done.”
“The story is mostly conveyed through reading documents.”
“The game is still in early access as of this review, but I’d love to see a more developed single-player story instead of relying on notes to convey the narrative.”
“It fails as a 'liminal space' game as the entities are too constant--to the point of losing any unsettling effect and becoming tiresome, as well as destroying any immersion in the story.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, primarily due to its procedural generation and changing maps, which keep the experience fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the custom mode and sandbox elements that enhance replay value, allowing for varied gameplay and exploration. However, some users note that the advancement mechanics may limit replayability for certain players.
“It is very replayable as well since the map is always changing!”
“A fun game, with a lot of replayability due to procedural generation.”
“Even in early access it offers quite a bit of replayability, due to it loading a different layout each time you play.”
“The game doesn't have much replayability.”
“Even in early access, it offers quite a bit of replayability, due to it loading a different layout each time you play.”
“All in all, it's a pretty scary experience for the price, and with the custom mode, it has plenty of replayability, especially if you are farming content.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, resulting in low frame rates even on minimal settings. While some users report a smooth experience on high-end hardware, many express hope for future patches to improve optimization for a broader range of systems.
“After the patches and me getting good, I think that playrooms are way better and I have no other issues with the game now other than optimization.”
“The game is great; it will definitely be a great game when it's all finished and optimized.”
“Amazing game, I just wish some items were easier to get and that the game was optimized for less powerful computers.”
“Very unoptimized.”
“Horrible optimization, legit getting 20-30 fps even on low settings. The game itself is also really boring, I'm sorry.”
“Also seems like it might need some optimization; couldn't get more than 22 fps on the lowest settings, 16 fps on ultra.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a delightful contrast to its horror elements, often highlighting moments like throwing objects at characters and the absurdity of certain entities. The combination of fear and laughter creates an engaging experience, with many expressing a desire for more content to enhance the fun. Overall, the game's ability to evoke both adrenaline and amusement is a standout feature.
“This game is so scary but funny at the same time.”
“I love how scary it is and funny, like when you throw objects at the doll and it falls over, and how entities break down doors. It's really cool.”
“This game is hilariously good, not in a bad way!”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its contribution to the atmosphere, others feel it lacks depth and synchronization with gameplay elements. There are options to adjust music and master volume, but many users desire more granular control over sound effects and voice levels. Overall, the music enhances the tension but does not fully capitalize on the game's potential for immersive experiences.
“Lore is interesting, monsters are terrifying, music and atmosphere are awesome.”
“The atmosphere had me on edge as well as the sounds and music.”
“The story, however, isn't much, and the music isn't that good; if the music synced with the entities, that would have been great and would have built up the atmosphere further.”
“The sudden enemy appearances and intense music are just gentle reminders of life’s unpredictability, not heart-stoppers.”
“I’d personally prefer if you could change not just the music but sound effects and voices individually, as the game is voice acted, and I thought the player character’s voice was a tad low.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it offers replayability through farming content, the requirement of accumulating 250 tickets for progression can feel tedious and frustrating. Despite some annoyance with repetitive monster encounters, the game's polish and presentation are generally well-received.
“Every game you play gives you around 12 tickets on average, and you need 250 to continue, so you'd better start grinding for those tickets.”
“Sometimes the monsters can get a little tedious and annoying, but the polish and presentation is actually not bad.”
“Played it for the 2nd time recently and man, this game is just tedious.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users found the game enjoyable when it functioned properly, the overall consensus suggests that these stability problems significantly detract from the experience, leading to a cautious recommendation for potential buyers.
“Buggy and crashes too much to be fun.”
“I give it a thumbs up only because it was a fun game for what little I was able to play of it. It has a lot of potential, but the constant issues made me uninstall. If you're on the low end when it comes to graphics for your computer, or even barely over the recommended specs like I was, I don't recommend buying the game as it will plague you with constant glitches, frame rate drops, and crashes no matter how low you turn the game graphics down. This sadly brings my verdict to a 5/10. Seeing it's still early access, they may fix that issue, to which I would definitely try again because it was very enjoyable... when it worked.”
“The graphics, controls, and story are solid, and the progression of the story through found pages is effective. However, I have not encountered any glitches yet.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized for being misleading, as advertisements suggest a variety of randomly generated levels, while in reality, there are only four repetitive levels with minor variations. Players feel that the game's incomplete state does not justify its price, leading to a perception of poor value for money.
“The advertising is misleading; it makes you think every level is randomly generated and that every playthrough is different, when in fact it's just the same level with some rooms swapped around. There are only 4 levels in the entire game. You combine this with the fact that the game is not even finished, and it's just not worth the price. You're pretty much paying 10 dollars to walk around in 4 levels, and each time you die, some rooms are swapped around, and that's pretty much it.”
“The monetization model is frustrating. It feels like the game is designed to push you towards spending more money rather than providing a complete experience upfront.”
“I was really disappointed with the amount of content for the price. It feels like a cash grab, and the in-game purchases are just too aggressive.”
