Psychological horrorHorror escapeHaunted houseHorror puzzle2D horror
Detention
Rate itTwo students trapped in a haunted mountain school in 1960s Taiwan under martial law.
- Platforms
- PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Switch, iPhone, Android
- Stores
- Steam
- Price
- Paid
- Rated
- Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (96% of 11,903 reviews); Metacritic 83 on PC; 4.65 of 5 on the PlayStation Store from 781 ratings
- Length
- about 3 to 4 hours
- Players
- 1
- Made by
- Red Candle Games
- Released
- 2017
On PlayStation: one of the PlayStation horror games.
No. 9 of the school horror games · No. 5 of the ghost horror games · No. 6 of the ritual horror games · No. 4 of the folklore horror games · No. 4 of the storm horror games · No. 2 of the religious horror games
What frightens Two students wake in their mountain high school as a typhoon closes in, and find it changed and haunted by ghosts from Taiwanese folklore. You cannot fight them: you hold your breath to slip past and leave food offerings to distract them, while solving puzzles and uncovering the school's past under martial law.
Content: blood, violence, disturbing imagery, trauma, political persecution, screams and harsh sounds, alcohol and tobacco.
A 2D side-scrolling horror adventure from Taiwan's Red Candle Games. Two students are trapped in their remote high school during a typhoon. Ghosts drawn from local folklore patrol the halls, and you cannot fight them: you hold your breath to pass unseen, collect items and solve puzzles while the school's past under martial law comes back. It runs about three hours.
About Detention
Detention is an atmospheric horror adventure by Red Candle Games, a studio from Taiwan, released on PC in January 2017 and later on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. It is set in a fictional version of 1960s Taiwan under martial law, and it draws on Taoism, Buddhism and Chinese and Taiwanese folklore, elements rarely seen in horror games.
Two students find themselves trapped at Greenwood High School, deep in the mountains, during a storm. The school they knew has changed in unsettling ways, and evil creatures now roam its halls. To get out, they have to explore the campus, examine ominous objects and work through puzzles.
It plays as a side-scroller with point-and-click controls. You move along corridors, classrooms and courtyards, pick up and use items, and hide from the creatures that patrol the school.
Not every ghost works the same way. Some leave you alone once you've set down a food offering. With others you hide behind talismans or look away, and a few you can only run from.
The fear is quiet and heavy rather than loud. The art is muted and grey, broken by flashes of red; rain and a soundtrack mixing electronic music with traditional Asian instruments fill the silence. What frightens most is the slow surfacing of what happened at the school and why.
It suits players who like story-driven horror, puzzles and cultural settings away from the usual haunted mansion.
How to play Detention
- Click where you want your character to walk and on objects to look at them.
- Collect items in your inventory and use them on the world to solve puzzles and open the way.
- When a ghost comes near, hold your breath to stay unseen; the breath only lasts a short time.
- Place food offerings to distract the ghosts so you can get past.
- Read notes and look at the school's objects to piece together its past.
Screenshots
Tips
- Examine everything: small objects often hold the answer to a later puzzle.
- Time your breath: hold it only while a ghost is close, since it runs out.
- Three hits from a ghost end the run, so avoid them rather than rush past.
- Play with headphones; the sound tells you when something is near.
Questions
What platforms is Detention on?
PC, Mac and Linux on Steam, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android. Red Candle Games also sells a DRM-free download for Windows, Mac and Linux on its own store.
Who made Detention?
Red Candle Games, a studio based in Taipei, Taiwan.
How long is Detention?
Around three hours according to the developer, a little longer if the puzzles slow you down.
Is Detention based on real history?
It is set in a fictional world in 1960s Taiwan under martial law and uses real religious and folk traditions.
Can you fight the monsters in Detention?
No. You hold your breath to avoid being noticed and use food offerings to distract them.
Is Detention scary?
It relies on dread, disturbing imagery and harsh sound rather than repeated jump scares. ESRB rates it M for blood and violence.
Can I buy Detention without Steam?
Yes. The Red Candle Games store sells it as a DRM-free download for Windows, Mac and Linux for $11.99, the same price as on Steam.
Ratings and reviews
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