There's much more to school life than academics. Students have to balance their social life with school work and home life while also battling through intense emotions and discovering who they are as an individual. And they have to battle monsters, too.
Okay, that part is only for students in video games, but it just means they have even more to deal with than an average student! Living the life of a student is something everyone can relate to, and that's probably why one of the most popular settings for a game is a school.
Updated 28th October, 2024, by Hilton Webster: We all loved school. Well no, that's definitely a lie. But once you hit adulthood, there's no denying the sense of comfort school has given you in terms of giving you structure and guidance without putting the weight of the world on your shoulders. And while your real-life school might not be full of pleasant memories, at least you can make some new ones in these games.
16 Hatoful Boyfriend
Hatoful Boyfriend
Visual Novel Released August 14, 2011 Developer(s) Hato Moa, MIST[PSI]PRESS, Mediatonic Platform(s) PC, PS4, PS Vita, Mobile Genre(s) Visual Novel Powered by Expand CollapseFinding love in life can be hard when you're actively searching. When you're a teen trapped in school every day, finding your own true love can just seem so damn difficult. But really, can it be quite as hard as trying to find love in a school filled with birds when you're the only human? Probably not.
Hatoful Boyfriend is a visual novel dating sim, one that is both an absurdist critique of the genre while also indulging in it. You can play it as a dating sim, falling in love with your avian classmates, or you could go down a slightly darker route to uncover the mysteries of the bird-filled institution.
15 Ikenfell
What's better than a regular school? A magical one, of course! Ikenfell takes place in one such school, putting you in control of Maritte Hildegaard who's magical powers only awaken upon entering the school in search of her sister.
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Posts 3 By Alexander PineraIt is not exactly a feel-good story and focuses more heavily on the struggles that many young people go through in school. It also uses a Paper Mario-inspired combat system if that's your thing, though the game is more than happy to let you play through the game with easier combat if you'd rather experience the story and world instead.
14 Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 8
JRPG Released February 11, 1999 Developer(s) Square Enix Platform(s) PlayStation (Original), PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android Genre(s) JRPG Powered by Expand CollapseThe Final Fantasy games are all different from each other, and some of the deeper intricacies of the earlier games get lost in some mixed translation work. One such game is Final Fantasy 8. Squall is, well, a child soldier raised in a mixed military-educational institution. It's an obscenely heavy premise that the game just throws at you without questioning.
Of course, plenty of Final Fantasy 8 is set outside of Squall's school, Balamb Garden, though there's no escaping its influence. It is your base of operations, the core for much of the story's growth and, eventually, a brand-new vehicle for you to traverse the world in.
13 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Tactical RPG Released July 26, 2019 Platform(s) Nintendo Switch Developer Intelligent Systems, Koei, Koei Tecmo, Koei Tecmo Games Genre(s) Tactical, RPG Powered by Expand CollapseFire Emblem is a popular tactical RPG series from Intelligent Systems. The series has always put an emphasis on relationship mechanics and bonds. However, Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes these mechanics further by implementing a school setting.
One will need to choose a House to represent, and they will remain with that school for the remainder of the game. This creates new relationship opportunities by making new friends, acquaintances, and enemies. Moreover, the school's lessons focus on teaching the characters new abilities to utilize on the battlefield.
12 Blue Reflection
Blue Reflection
RPG Released March 30, 2017 Developer(s) Gust Platform(s) PS4 Genre(s) RPG Powered by Expand CollapseDeveloped by the same studio that created the Atelier series, Blue Reflection is a JRPG. You take on the role of a high school student named Hinako Shirai, and the game takes place in a modern-day Japanese high school. You're tasked with balancing school life and doing battle in the Other World, as a magical being called a Reflector.
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PostsBlue Reflection takes a lot of inspiration from the Persona series. It isn't quite as polished as Atlus' work, but the story is a heartfelt one that will resonate with fans of coming-of-age stories. The school/life balance is well implemented, and the relationship mechanics provide the game with depth and scope.
11 Lost Judgment
Lost Judgment
Action Adventure Released September 24, 2021 Developer(s) Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Platform(s) Amazon Luna, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Action, Adventure Powered by Expand CollapseA direct sequel to the Yakuza spin-off and detective drama Judgment, you will once again play the role of a former lawyer-turned private detective. The game is filled with content and mysteries to solve, but the best of them takes place in the high school.
The "School Stories" aspect of Lost Judgment packs an emotional punch, and delivers a surprisingly profound and heartfelt narrative. There are tons of activities to do, such as joining dance clubs, boxing clubs, and robot building. Lost Judgment is the closest one can get to a video game interpretation of 21 Jump Street — it seems to take elements from the serious 80s version starring Johnny Depp, and the hilarious Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill remake.
10 Lollipop Chainsaw
Lollipop Chainsaw
Hack and Slash Released June 12, 2012 Developer(s) Grasshopper Manufacture Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360 Genre(s) Hack and Slash Powered by Expand CollapseLollipop Chainsaw is a hack and slash game about a high school zombie hunter Juliet Starling, who gives off some Buffy Summers vibes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On her 18th birthday, while heading out to meet with her boyfriend, she finds her school overrun with zombies and her poor boyfriend, Nick, surrounded by them!
Players control Juliet as she battles through the horde of zombies with her adorably deadly chainsaw, and can rack up points to purchase items, new outfits, and even cheerleading-based moves to help Juliet kick zombies undead butt.
An interesting fact about Lollipop Chainsaw is that its script was written by The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad writer/director James Gunn.
9 White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School (2015)
Survival Horror Released December 17, 2015 Developer(s) ROI Games, Gachyon Soft Platform(s) Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand CollapseFor some, high school was a nightmare, and that is this title's literal setting. White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a remake of a Korean survival horror game. Players control Lee Hui-min, who sneaks into his school at night to leave his crush a gift and return her diary.
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PostsHe finds himself trapped in the school, and discovers it haunted by deadly ghosts. Players have to guide Hui-min to safety while avoiding terrifying ghosts, a possessed homicidal janitor, and solve puzzles to save the other trapped students and discover the secret of the school.
8 Monster Prom
Monster Prom
Social Simulation Released April 27, 2018 Developer(s) Beautiful Glitch Platform(s) PC, PS4, Switch Genre(s) Social Simulation Powered by Expand CollapseWhat's one thing that high schoolers look the most forward to, other than Graduation? Prom of course! And it's the same for monsters. Monster Prom is a dating game where players try to woo their fellow students and claim their hearts before prom.
The game is full of amazing and unique characters to fall in love with, tons of hilarious events and situations players can find themselves in with their beau of choice, and tons more. It's also one of the only dating sims that's multiplayer, where one can fight for the affections of the same character. This mechanic creates gameplay variety and lots of replay value for fans.
7 Corpse Party
Corpse Party (2021)
Survival Horror Released October 20, 2021 Developer(s) MAGES. Inc. Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Survival Horror Powered by Expand CollapseCorpse Party is one of the more well-known games created using RPG Maker. Originally made in 1996, the game has spawned several sequels and related games, as well as two remakes. It's an RPG about a group of students who find themselves transported to an alternate dimension after performing a friendship ritual.
They find themselves trapped in a dilapidated schoolhouse that's inhabited by the ghosts of those who have been trapped in the school. The students have to find a way out and avoid the dangers lurking about, including a mysterious young girl in a red dress.
