Expelled!

Evaluation: Interesting dialogue tree game where you uncover more about the story each run. Experience: The game moves forward through dialogue choices, with each choice passing a certain amount of time. Various events happen at given times and it ultimately puts you on a clock to solve the mystery as the end of the day approaches. The characters are interesting, and there are several endings with some ambiguity about which one is the 'true' ending. The better/possibly canon endings will likely require many runs in order to achieve, as many choices and secrets are not available until certain conditions are met. The story falls under 'dramedy' as a serious underlying story that often plays for comedic effect. Suggestions: The game is driven by the story, and while the player makes choices, there's not much gameplay beyond that. The repetitive nature of the game means that you will likely replay certain scenes several times to uncover new branches and reveal the secrets of the school, of Verity, and of her classmates. If that sounds interesting, then I recommend checking the game out. The game is generally appropriate for all ages, though note that some choices involve the main character acting violently towards others, and this is largely played for comedy. Additionally, some of the adults act borderline abusive towards some of the children, and this is not directly addressed by the characters in the story, likely because it might not have been that out of the ordinary for the time period that the game is set.

A solid 6.5/10 game. Positive: The gameplay loop is fun and even though there's still no savepoints available just like Overboard!, each gameplay loops is relatively short and stays interesting even after a few hours with new events discovered in every loop. Ultimately, the game manages to maintain engagement by introducing something new in every run. Negative: However, the new factor soon wears off and players can soon realise the shallow nature of the story and the fact that most of the events are entirely unrelated to the ultimate goal of the game - Essentially, not getting expelled. I manage to discover a lot of interesting details of the game, sure - the maze, the vampire thing, character's backstories - but they are all so loosely related that I almost felt like I wasted my time exploring. To finish the game really does not take much if you simply focus on the goal, and exploration has not really been rewarded. Additionally, the core story is pretty boring as well, and definitely not long enough to justify the current price. I finished the game at around 3.5 hours mark and unfortunately cannot claim a refund. This game definitely does not worth the current price in my opinion. It's cute, sure, but it's only justifiable at a more than 50% discount. It does not have more than £10 worth of content. Otherwise, I think it's an improvement to Overboard in terms of gameplay.

so sharp, so charming, so fun. full of character and wit, very intelligently designed. just a grand old time! inkle games rule!

It's a good experience. I enjoyed myself with it. I do feel like it is missing something (as did the previous game) from making this a really high quality experience. I think once you've got an idea of the timeline, the game loses it's edge. It could maybe do with something to keep the search for more scenes fresh.

Great game

I enjoyed this game fine up until the mid-point reveal / plot twist, which is the exact same unwelcome "Oh ho ho, the game was lying to you all this time! Isn't that a shocking shift in juxtaposition!" twist that was used in Overboard. Immediately deflated any interest in continuing.

Try not to get expelled...but were you innocent?