Indie horror incorporating Taiwanese culture
Detention is a pay-to-play horror adventure game that offers a frightening 2D atmospheric game experience. Developed by RedCandleGames, it is a story-rich play set in the 1960s martial law era of Taiwan depicting a wide range of East Asian elements including Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese mythology, and Taiwanese culture.
Through classic point-and-click game controls, you will explore the mountainous area of Greenwood High School after two students got trapped. You must help them survive and successfully find their way to escape from Detention. For more haunted school games, try Lunch Lady.
Powerful but slow imagery game
Detention is a horror venture based on Taiwan’s local folklore. Thus, as you stroll around its game environment, you'll notice tons of references to the “White Terror” age. Pictures of political prisoners imprisoned in the clubhouse basement will haunt you just as much as the hallway’s lurking ghosts. The plot’s point-of-view can confuse you at first because it can appear that you're playing a teenage boy role named Wei.
The terrifying storyline is told from Ray’s—Wei’s schoolmate—standpoint as Wei actually dies in the initial part of the play. Furthermore, its gloomy grayscale graphics perfectly showcase Ray’s mental state—lonely, cold, and outrageous. This is due to the horrific struggles she’s facing from her cheating father, grooming teacher, and other inhumane acts brought by martial law. Your role as a player here is limited to observing and guiding Ray.
You have no power to intervene but in the last chapter of the game your choice will shape Ray’s fate. You must pay keen attention to the story’s details to decide the best and right option. The slow movement of this 2D side-scroller can annoy you, however, as the game proceeds, you’ll understand how it actually boosts the frightening experience that it brings to the table.
Eerie psychological game with Taiwanese folklore
Detention is a good and interesting scare for you especially if you are interested in local folklore. Apart from that, you will find yourself fully immersed in the psychological struggles that Ray will face as she stumbles upon unfamiliar territory. The grayscale visuals and slow game pace can frustrate you at some point, but as you go further, you’ll appreciate what it's trying to depict.
