Sam DeLongOn paper, Demonschool is exactly the kind of indie game that would normally check all my boxes. It has an additive gameplay loop, quirky characters, and a fun setting that hasn’t been overly done. However, this puzzle dungeon crawler is also less than the sum of it parts, making the whole package feel a bit undercooked.
A School For Demon Hunters
Demonschool is mostly seen through the eyes of Faye, a plucky demon hunter who is tracking down the origins of a prophecy in her family to prevent demons from opening a portal to the earth and invading the earth. Faye and her friends are all attending a special school for demon hunters — aka a demon school.
Demons To Fight, And Homework To Finish
Given the high school setting, I was hoping for some fun character dynamics, ala a pixel art Persona, but those elements are surface level at best. While Faye and company do travel to different rooms in the school and the surrounding area around town; they are mostly just self contained areas, with little to know exploration given.
The art style in the game is a minimalist pixel art and it fits the tone of the story pretty well. I played a big chunk of the game on my PlayStation Portal as well, and the aesthetic fits right at home. I really like the designs of Faye and Amako, especially in the charming still image cut scenes. It has the vibe of an anime adjacent early 90s cartoon. Even though the premise itself is very basic, I was hoping for some depth, even if it was told in a cheesy and intentional way. However, the characters are the definition of surface level. The dialogue doesn’t do much to add to the story and I found myself quickly reading the text on screen, as there is no voice acting in the game.
It’s Cheesy And Challenging As Hell
Demonschool is a tactical dungeon crawler, and it uses a grid based system for its combat. Enemies can be lined up and pushed and pulled onto spaces on the grid, with each character having a limited number of action points. Certain characters, like Namako, cannot attack directly but will lower enemy defenses.
The strategy nature of the combat is immediately addicting, and the game also has some fun trophies based around the combat too. And make no mistake, there is a decent challenge to be found here. Early parts the game will ease you into encounters, but before long you will find yourself stacked up against 20+ enemies at a time. It’s super satisfying to line up a row of demons and watch them explode in a pool glorious pixel blood. You will be able to set up your move ahead of time in a “planning phase” and then watch it all unfold in the action phase, very similar to a collectible card game. The actual flow of understanding the combat is a bit of a mixed bag. Demonschool doesn’t do a particularly good job of explaining its mechanics, and I have a feeling it may even alienate some players, especially those who are new to the genre.
Demonschool has left me conflicted. I eye rolled past the story and found its characters one note. The combat is a slog to get through. It’s overly designed and under explained. I am not having a good time, but I also cannot stop playing it. Those who love puzzle strategy and a throwaway supernatural story will likely love it, but tread carefully if you are new to puzzle tactics games.