Let's School, despite being a little bit rough around the edges, is a really fulfilling school management game. It kind of reminds me of some of Kairosoft's titles--however, this game is refreshingly complex compared to many of its rivals. For example, each facility placed increases administrative strain on you, the Headmaster--so you are compelled to create administrative departments, led by qualified school staff. And you get to name those departments, and give their leaders fancy titles. This can eventually lead to a sprawling (but oh-so-satisfying) bureaucratic apparatus of departments answering to departments answering to departments. Imagine the paperwork!

I have to give serious props for the graphical design, and attention to detail. There are small things, like how each student has a book bag that they hang on their desks during classes, or how only certain students will actually bring their own lunches, and when they do, those lunches actually appear on the wall as objects. Or how the various forms of transportation students use to get to your school---by train or by bus or by bike---are rendered. It's all very... cute! And the art style is simple, vibrant, and comforting.

Of course, you can tell that it's not strictly feature-complete. The end game is pretty aimless, for example. The game could do with some more challenge, especially once you overcome the initial financial difficulties. It is currently way too easy to schedule classes to guarantee everyone passes a given semester. And some mechanics--like school security, guidance counselling, extracurricular activities, and student relationships, are only half-implemented. But the potential is certainly there.

As it is, Let's School is a lovely school management simulator, with great visual design, a lot of charm, and an okay simulation. Its difficulty leaves something to be desired, and its as-of-yet unimplemented features might turn you away, but honestly, I think it's absolutely worth the price on novelty alone. I have never attended a high school in Japan, nor any other country for whom this game was obviously inspired by. But I can't help but leave every session of this game feeling oddly nostalgic, like I've just relived a pleasant memory. Soooo... yeah! That's my take.

Let's School, despite being a little bit rough around the edges, is a really fulfilling school management game. It kind of reminds me of some of Kairosoft's titles--however, this game is refreshingly complex compared to many of its rivals. For example, each facility placed increases administrative strain on you, the Headmaster--so you are compelled to create administrative departments, led by qualified school staff. And you get to name those departments, and give their leaders fancy titles. This can eventually lead to a sprawling (but oh-so-satisfying) bureaucratic apparatus of departments answering to departments answering to departments. Imagine the paperwork! I have to give serious props for the graphical design, and attention to detail. There are small things, like how each student has a book bag that they hang on their desks during classes, or how only certain students will actually bring their own lunches, and when they do, those lunches actually appear on the wall as objects. Or how the various forms of transportation students use to get to your school---by train or by bus or by bike---are rendered. It's all very... cute! And the art style is simple, vibrant, and comforting. Of course, you can tell that it's not strictly feature-complete. The end game is pretty aimless, for example. The game could do with some more challenge, especially once you overcome the initial financial difficulties. It is currently way too easy to schedule classes to guarantee everyone passes a given semester. And some mechanics--like school security, guidance counselling, extracurricular activities, and student relationships, are only half-implemented. But the potential is certainly there. As it is, Let's School is a lovely school management simulator, with great visual design, a lot of charm, and an okay simulation. Its difficulty leaves something to be desired, and its as-of-yet unimplemented features might turn you away, but honestly, I think it's absolutely worth the price on novelty alone. I have never attended a high school in Japan, nor any other country for whom this game was obviously inspired by. But I can't help but leave every session of this game feeling oddly nostalgic, like I've just relived a pleasant memory. Soooo... yeah! That's my take.