I don’t know what this team has done to me. If I even sniff that a game may have roguelike elements, it immediately piques my interest. Especially in the case of Expelled!, a recently announced Visual Novel with extremely lofty ambitions. So, if your eyes glazed over at “Visual Novel,” wait a minute. Expelled! isn’t just some “run-of-the-mill” affair where you’re passively reading and clicking through dialogue. No — this one has more weight to it than that.
For starters, Expelled! will release next month on March 12, 2025. Additionally, there’s a promise here of vastly different “runs,” personal mysteries to solve, and incredible music. “1922. Miss Mulligatawney’s School for Promising Girls is one of the best boarding schools in England. You are Verity Amersham, here on a scholarship — and today you’re going to be expelled for attempted murder.” Come on. That’s a hook.
“Gossip, lie, steal, manipulate – but don’t get caught!
- Navigate the school day, talk to other characters, sneak around – and try not to get expelled!
- Your actions will affect other characters, who remember everything they see and hear.
- Everyone here has secrets – students and teachers alike. Remember, knowledge is power.
- Unique morality system: the more EVIL you are, the more choices you’ll have…”
“okay, but where the hell do you see ‘roguelike’?”
I’ll admit this is a loose definition of roguelike, but Expelled! features multiple “runs.” In 30- to 45-minute sessions, you’ll experience (and adapt to) various events and characters. No, it’s not a Hades type of roguelike, but there’s a connection to one of the genre’s core mechanics of run optimization to get the most out of the experience. Also, admittedly, I dig the concept of a “living, breathing” Visual Novel that’s as dynamic as the player.
Plus, I love deep morality systems, which this game seems to have in bundles. Then again, they had me at “Mystery Visual Novel.” Everything else is just easy to sell y’all on. “Roguelike Visual Novel” is as bonkers as “Roguelike Puzzle Game,” but the latter had its time to shine! If one of Expelled!‘s “Evil Endings” isn’t the revelation that you’re the real perpetrator? Someone will be getting a strongly-worded letter.
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