Build, run your own school in Pinoy-made ‘Academia: School Simulator’ game

School is one of the most transformative experiences in our lives, so it’s interesting there aren’t more video games about it.

But Philippine-based Squeaky Wheel Studio is a different kind of game developer.

Their previous game, “Political Animals,” focuses on something that regularly affects the human condition: politics.

This time, they’re giving school the recognition it sorely lacks in the industry with a game called “Academia: School Simulator.”

“Academia: School Simulator” is in early access on Steam, where it’s gotten good reviews. The game tasks you with building and running a high school, so your activities will range from designing the campus’ overall design, to the management of students and staff.

School architect

If “Academia: School Simulator” looks familiar, that’s because its chief artist is Ryan Sumo, the man who worked on the visuals of another well-received game, Introversion Software’s “Prison Architect.” Both games share gameplay similarities too, except “Academia: School Simulator” lies on the more whimsical side of the gaming spectrum.

Before you start building your dream school, “Academia: School Simulator” allows you to design your school crest and motto. In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s possible to recreate the Hogwarts coat of arms in the game.

As for the game proper, it’s fairly easy to learn, despite the current lack of a tutorial.

To get started, you’ll need to build basic structures, such as walls, doors, floor tiles, and the like. Then, you assign special zones to each specific area. For example, one enclosure can be a freshman classroom. Another can be the toilet for girls. Yet another can be the cafeteria, the clinic, the faculty room—so on and so forth.

Of course, a classroom isn’t a classroom without a blackboard, a teacher’s desk and chair, and student desk chairs. For each zone to function as it’s meant to, you therefore have to equip it with all the necessary features, such as bookshelves for the library and computers for the computer lab. So if you have a toilet but no toilet bowls, expect people to start peeing on the floor.

And you won’t be able to get any work done without a staff. You start the game with a number of workers who’ll build everything from carpeted floors, to walls, to the kitchen sink, but you’ll also need janitors to clean up after everybody, cooks to keep your kids from starving, and more. Teachers, the lifeblood of any school, come with various proficiencies; for example, some are good at math but bad at history, while a few are great at everything. The more skilled the teacher, the higher the pay they’ll demand.

Of course, you need funds to create your school. Some items are more expensive than others, and, as previously hinted at, staff members require a salary.

It’s therefore crucial to plan ahead; if you just build whatever you fancy willy-nilly, you’ll end up bankrupt, and your school will close.

Thankfully, “Academia: School Simulator” provides a To-Do list which conveniently suggests the bare minimum of goals you have to accomplish to run an efficient educational institution. As you progress, you’ll also be allowed to acquire grants, which will bequeath you some additional funds in exchange for completing certain tasks. For example, the “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness” grant gives you a $2,500 advance to build a janitor’s room, hire four janitors, and place six trash cans around the campus. Complete these jobs, and you get another $2,500 as a reward.

When you’re confident your school has everything it needs to survive, you can start the school year. Depending on how many kids you accepted into your school, students will start pouring in and attending classes.

The students are fairly complex entities, each one governed by a range of motivations, such as the food they eat, discipline, and hygiene. Depending on how well you’re able to meet their needs, a student can become an unhappy delinquent, a confident achiever, or somewhere in between.

Running and expanding your school while making sure your finances don’t plummet to the point past no return requires a tricky balancing act that can grow challenging fairly quickly. But it’s a good kind of challenge—the simulation gameplay is solid enough that you’ll want to keep going despite the various hurdles you encounter. But if it ever gets too difficult for you, you can always opt for the Sandbox Mode, which gives you unlimited resources.

“Academia: School Simulator” is a work in progress. Its interface can be a bit confusing and even messy. If you’re unlucky, various bugs will affect your enjoyment of the game. It’s a little light on content and, as mentioned earlier, lacks a tutorial.

However, Squeaky Wheel Studio has laid the foundations for something special. Indeed, “Academia: School Simulator” is already an entertaining title, one that can prove hard to put down. Furthermore, there are plans to improve the game by adding more features, such as new types of classes for higher year levels, improved animation, special scenarios, and more. Particularly interesting is the planned delinquency system that sees students with low motivation turning into bullies, vandals, or serial truants. Such students can end up in the principal’s office, detention, or having a chat with the guidance counselor.

“Academia: School Simulator” holds much promise. And with Squeaky Wheel Studio open to feedback from the gaming community, there’s great potential for this title to become the consummate school management simulator. — BM, GMA News