The Classrooms

About

"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?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,798 reviews

gameplay32 positive mentions

optimization18 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of horror elements, combining SCP and Backrooms themes with engaging gameplay.
The procedural generation of levels ensures a fresh experience with each playthrough, enhancing replayability.
The sound design and atmosphere are highly praised, creating a genuinely creepy and immersive experience.

The game suffers from optimization issues, leading to lag and performance drops even on high-end PCs.
Some players find the gameplay repetitive and frustrating, particularly in later levels where the difficulty spikes.
The use of AI-generated assets has drawn criticism, with some players expressing disappointment over the lack of traditional art.

gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The gameplay is a standout feature, praised for its intensity, engaging mechanics, and unique monster designs, which contribute to a thrilling horror experience. Players appreciate the procedural generation of levels, adding replayability and unpredictability, although some mechanics feel repetitive after multiple playthroughs. While the game excels in atmosphere and interaction, a few mechanics have been criticized as unnecessary or poorly integrated, suggesting room for improvement in future updates.
- “The gameplay is amazing and the way you enter the different rooms is breathtaking!”
- “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.”
- “For a game that sometimes forces you to stop what you're doing due to a creature being nearby, I do not find the balloon homing mechanic to fit with the rest of the game.”
- “The mechanics become played out and simplistic, overturning what made tape 1 work.”
- “Since the levels aren't handcrafted for stealth gameplay and are instead randomly generated, there's a lot of luck and chaos that goes into the way you'll end up navigating the levels and running from monsters.”
graphics
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in creating a creepy atmosphere reminiscent of 1990s aesthetics. However, some users express concerns about performance issues, such as frame rate drops and glitches, especially on lower-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, optimization remains a significant concern for some players.
- “Absolutely stunning game visuals, even at ultra settings. The procedural levels, the monsters, and the frequent updates make this game extra scary and very funny. I'm hyped for the multiplayer update and future content. I definitely recommend this if you love backrooms like I do.”
- “Great horror game with awesome graphics. The gameplay of completing each level is different, and every map randomizes every area. Perfect in my opinion!”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and I am surprised that it worked so well with ultrawide. The attention to detail in recreating the whole world of 1990s empty-school-at-night aesthetics is truly moving.”
- “I should not be struggling to play this game on 90 fps on medium graphics or with depth of field eating up my frames.”
- “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.”
- “Now for the game itself and its presentation and graphics, it's pretty on par with most backrooms styled games that you can look up on Steam, and you may also compare this game to another backrooms inspired game.”
atmosphere
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
31%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its intense and immersive qualities, combining detailed visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and effective jump scares that keep players on edge. Many reviewers highlight the creepy environments and unique monster designs, contributing to a sense of dread and tension throughout gameplay. While some players found certain mechanics to feel mechanical or repetitive, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric elements significantly enhance the horror experience.
- “Very scary and detailed, the soundtrack and everything about it is atmospheric at the same time as it is horrific.”
- “The atmosphere is spooky yet intriguing and the story and documents found throughout are very interesting.”
- “This game is so great, the creatures look scary and uncanny, the level design is procedurally generated and gives a lot of replayability. The environment is creepy and the lighting is really atmospheric.”
- “Absolute nightmare fuel... atmosphere was everything.”
- “The atmosphere had me on edge as well as the sounds and music.”
- “Few good jump scares, love the old 90's VHS camcorder feel, randomly generated levels make this playable over and over again, the atmosphere of this game makes it that more scary.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The game's story is described as vague yet intriguing, primarily conveyed through documents and notes found throughout the levels, which adds depth to the gameplay. While some players appreciate the unique lore and atmosphere reminiscent of SCP themes, others criticize the reliance on standard tropes and the need for a more developed narrative. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the intense gameplay, with many players eager for future expansions and deeper storytelling.
- “But this game actually has interesting lore, story, and objectives, and the monsters/entities are very unique with their traits and behavior and how you have to use items and strategy to avoid them.”
- “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.”
- “There's little to no plot tying the game together besides the very mundane and overused 'oh no, my family member has been kidnapped, gotta go save them!' trope that's quickly discarded 10 minutes in.”
- “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.”
optimization
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
57%
35%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting performance issues and low frame rates even on capable hardware. While some users experienced smooth gameplay, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, which detracts from the overall experience. Many hope that future updates will address these optimization concerns as the game continues to develop.
- “I suppose it could be that - since the game is still in development (with more levels adding soon) - that optimization will be prioritized once it's all completed.”
- “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.”
- “After toying around with the settings some, I could only conclude that the game is still poorly optimized.”
- “Horrible optimization, legit getting 20-30 fps even on low settings. The game itself is also really boring, I'm sorry.”
- “I have seen other reviews saying it's poorly optimized, and I believe it.”
replayability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
Overall, the game boasts significant replayability, primarily due to its procedural generation and custom modes that allow for unique player-created levels. Many users appreciate the ever-changing maps and the opportunity to explore lore and collect items, although some note that the content may feel limited over time. While the game is generally seen as highly replayable, a few critiques mention that the advancement mechanics could impact the overall experience.
- “The game description says: "the classrooms is infinitely replayable, and never the same twice."”
- “It is very replayable as well since the map is always changing!”
- “This game is so great, the creatures look scary and uncanny; the level design is procedurally generated, which gives a lot of replayability. The environment is creepy, the lighting is really atmospheric, and the AI of the entities is also really well made, building up a lot of tension.”
- “So it's just kind of a lack of content, and the procedural generation does less than you would think for replayability.”
- “The game doesn't have much replayability.”
- “It cannot be overstated how much that does for replayability of a horror game.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the blend of scary moments and comedic elements, such as amusing character animations and funny interactions with the environment. Many reviews mention that the game successfully balances horror and humor, creating an entertaining experience that keeps players engaged and laughing, especially when played with friends. Overall, the game's ability to evoke both fear and laughter is a key reason for its popularity among fans.
- “I mean, the entity in the library stage genuinely had me laughing because it reminded me of one of the poorly animated thumb creatures from Spy Kids in the early 2000s.”
- “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!”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric and horrifying qualities, effectively enhancing the overall tension and immersion. While the soundtrack is described as detailed and fitting, some users noted a desire for more customizable audio options beyond just music volume. Overall, the combination of intense music and sound design contributes significantly to the game's eerie atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding creature designs and voice acting levels.
- “Very scary and detailed, the soundtrack and everything about it is atmospheric at the same time as it is horrific.”
- “Lore is interesting, monsters are terrifying, music and atmosphere are awesome.”
- “The atmosphere had me on edge as well as the sounds and music.”
- “You can expect some lackluster creature designs, AI music, and a standard story.”
- “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 SFX and voices individually, as the game is voice acted and I thought the player character’s voice was a tad low.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many players reporting frequent FPS glitches, lag, and crashes, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users found the game enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus is that its early access status contributes to its instability, leading to mixed reviews regarding performance. Players recommend caution for those with less powerful hardware, as the experience can be severely impacted by technical problems.
- “There are a lot of FPS glitches and I'm consistently lagging out.”
- “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.”
- “This game is terrifying, definitely a little buggy at the moment because it's in early access, but still worth the money for sure.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lengthy, with repetitive monster encounters contributing to the overall annoyance. Despite these frustrations, some reviewers acknowledge the game's polish and presentation as positive elements.
- “I do wish the arcade was less tedious and long.”
- “Sometimes the monsters can get a little tedious and annoying, but the polish and presentation is actually not bad.”
- “Played it for the second time recently and man, this game is just tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization of the game is criticized for being misleading, as it advertises a variety of randomly generated levels, while in reality, there are only four repetitive levels with minor variations. Players feel that the game is unfinished and not worth the $10 price tag, given the limited content and lack of substantial gameplay.
- “The advertising is misleading; it makes you think every level is randomly generated and 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. Combined with the fact that the game is not even finished, 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 disappointed to find that the game relies heavily on microtransactions. It feels like a cash grab rather than a well-developed game.”

Buy The Classrooms

8h Median play time

7h Average play time

4-9h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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