Detention

If it weren’t for a final act that stretched itself a little too thin for my liking, spooling out the denouement for longer than necessary, I’d have enjoyed almost every minute of Detention.

This isn't a horror game in the purest sense of the word. There aren't any jump scares, yet there is a very real sense of dread as you chip your way through the story. It never fully lets up and, instead, allows itself to build until you're almost used to the oppressive paranoia.

Hot off the heels of Layers of Fear: Legacy, Detention is yet another horror classic that deserves a place on your Nintendo Switch. Its story has an important message behind it as it introduces themes that seem almost unfair when viewed through the eyes of a child, but that only helps to escalate the horror. Through a terrifying atmosphere, chilling ghouls, and a soundtrack that will sink its teeth into you, Detention is a suitably horrifying title that needs to be experienced first-hand.

Although brief, the game's flow meanders as sluggishly as its central characters.

Grammar and graphical issues aside, Detention is still a game that is easily digestible, but will still leave a lingering aftertaste once its tragic tale reaches its course. The bar for storytelling in videogames continues to be set higher with every new title, be it Indie or Triple A, and the horror genre continues to innovate in new and exciting ways.

Despite everything that goes against this game’s favour, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to almost anyone who wants a new horror game. It is very short but it’s definitely worth it – Snuggling up in bed late at night and playing this in handheld mode was like telling myself a scary story in the dark; the story is fantastic and the way the whole game ties in the historical and cultural aspects of Taiwan into it is really interesting and unique. The game boasts some of the coolest puzzles I’ve seen in a game in a long ass time and overall I was scared… Which is what this game needed to do first and foremost.

Detention brings back elements that will quickly make players reminisce about the first console horror games. Its plot-based design, with an involving audiovisual component and laudable art style makes the player feel wonderfully immersed in the game's atmosphere and creates one of the finest experiences available in the Nintendo Switch eShop.

A horror game that is not as deep as we would have liked, but manages to scare you while it lasts.

This is pure psychological terror. Detention comes to Nintendo Switch with the goal of hooking the player in its intense, but short, story. Its plot and context are the best aspects of this game by far.

Detention is a game that deserves your attention. It may not be the most gripping gameplay wise, but everything else that encompasses it is undoubtedly top-class. The chilling atmosphere and just overall tension the game presents to you, coupled with the excellent and original story helps eliminate its overly simple gameplay problem. It seems like horror games are finding its feet on the Switch now, so if you have finished Layers of Fear and The Coma and are itching for more top-notch horror experiences, then you need to play Detention.