Platforms
- PCJan 12, 20178.4playscore8.110 Critics9.67.96K Players
- PlayStation 4Oct 3, 20178.3playscore8.25 Critics9.3586 Players
- Nintendo SwitchMar 1, 20187.7playscore7.810 Critics7.635 Players
- AndroidSep 5, 2019NAplayscoreNA0 Critics8.611.7K Players
- iOSSep 6, 2019NAplayscoreNA0 Critics9.5110 Players
24 critic reviews · 3 community reviews across all platforms
Critic Reviews
- 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. It's held back by some dated design philosophies and a short playtime, but Detention still packs one hell of a punch.
Kevin Mersereau · Mar 13, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review - 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.
Jamie Ward · Mar 11, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review - Despite the severely short length and somewhat subpar artistic presentation, I have to say I was still pleasantly surprised with Detention. After playing so many first-person horror games that failed so miserably in trying to scare me, a little 2D adventure game managed to make me feel more uncomfortable than all of those games combined. The game isn’t only highly recommended for horror fans, but also for adventure game fans in general. It’s creepy and I like it.
Leo Faria · Mar 10, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review - Detention is a complicated package. Everything outside of its gameplay is top-notch. Its story, visuals, and sound flawlessly accomplishes what (I think) the game is trying to convey. At the same time, these things are experienced through slow, somewhat dull adventure gameplay. It does hinder the game somewhat, but despite this caveat, I still think Detention is absolutely a game—if not story—worth experiencing.
Alex Culafi · Mar 09, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review - 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.
Liam Croft · Feb 27, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review - Detention has something to say. It has something to say about the sweeping themes of militant government regimes. It has something to say about each one of our personal hells and the journey towards even the smallest bit of redemption. It has something to say but it never shouts. It slides its message in silently like a blade into your gut.
Chandler Wood · Oct 27, 2017 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - An extremely well done story crafted inside a psychological horror game that nails its terrifying atmosphere. It might not be the longest game or even the best horror game, but it truly got under my skin at times, and that’s one of the highest accolades I can give any title in the genre. Independent horror games continue to shine and bring forth some of the most interesting experiences when least expected. Here we have one that mixes history with fiction creating an ultimately trippy, twisted journey.
Justin Celani · Oct 23, 2017 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - Detention is an astonishingly well-put together game that understands how brooding horror is more effective than mere jump-scares. And four hours long, it never outstays its welcome, delivering a perfectly pitched dose of horror with a sprinkling of historical insight. All in all, it’s one of the most chilling and disturbing games you’re likely to encounter, rivalling even the much-vaunted Silent Hill 2 in the survival horror stakes. Fear done properly, Detention is a fantastic reason to go back to school.
Chris Mc · Apr 22, 2017 Reviewed on PCRead full review - It sadly loses its way in the final act, with the game’s systems being forgotten about in favour of a more linear telling of the narrating, along with diminished puzzle-solving. But even with that, Detention is a very interesting game that uses the real-world events of mid-1900s Taiwan and wraps them up in this engrossing tale of fantastical terror.
Colm Ahern · Jan 30, 2017 Reviewed on PCRead full review - Detention is a perfect example of how the video games medium can be utilised to tell unfamiliar, but important, stories in a novel and impactful way. That by no means takes away from its credibility as a horror game and instead strengthens it.
James Sweeting · Mar 09, 2018 Reviewed on SwitchRead full review
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Community Reviews
- Rated on PC
- Rated on And
- Rated on Switch
About the game
Trailers & Screenshots:
Detention is a atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. Incorporated religious elements based in Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology, the game provided players with unique graphics and gaming experience.
Developer: Red Candle Games