We’ve been able to manage our own theme parks thanks to, well, Theme Park. Theme Hospital and later, Two Point Hospital, has let us manage our own hospitals. And Two Point Campus has put us in charge of universities. But what about a school? Enter Let’s School, coming to Steam this week, which puts you in the role of a headmaster.
The school you become master of in Let’s School is a little run down to say the least. There are holes in the walls, all of its facilities are long-gone and, well, you don’t have a great deal to work with. A bit of easy bulldozing gets it into rough shape, though, and once you’ve plonked a classroom down, it’s time to get some students enrolled and hit the ground running.
You’ll need to give your students a timetable to work with, and ensure the lessons you’re teaching cover the curriculum, with enough classes to give your students the best chance of passing their exams. After all, successful students mean a successful school. And a successful school means a healthy bank balance.
There are a lot of similarities between Let’s School and the likes of the Two Point games – its inspirations are certainly clear. Rooms are laid out identically, with necessary items being placed first before additional items are bought to improve a room’s score. Staff need to be hired too, of course, with teachers all having their own specialities. But there are ways that Let’s School sets itself apart as well. Monitoring your students’ wellbeing is important here, and you’ll have to deal with school policies – like how much food is available in the canteen, and ensuring students have access to sanitary products. It’s not all just about teaching languages, maths and science, you know.
Let’s School doesn’t quite nail the ease of play that Two Point Studios manages to capture in their games. And so you’re going to have to spend a little longer getting familiar with its systems. That’s not necessarily down to bad design, though: Let’s School is surprisingly complex, and there’s a lot to get your head around. Ensuring all your students are happy and learning is a task, and so success feels like it’s hard-earned. If you relish a challenge, you’ll find one here.
Scratching the same itch as many of the classic management sim games, there’s a lot to like about Let’s School. Running your own school is no easy feat, it turns out, but seeing your establishment grow and flourish is a joy.
Let’s School is available on Steam from 27th July. A free demo is available to download now.
