6 Best school-based RPG video games

There's nothing quite like school-based RPGs, which puts them in a league of their own. Some play them to indulge in their wild schoolyard fantasies while others do so for nostalgia's sake. The best school-setting RPGs are listed below, but we only considered games set in schools, not games that visit them periodically.

Best RPGs that take place in school

6 - Corpse Party (2016)

The most famous RPG Maker game is probably Corporation Party. This title centers around a group of students who are transported to another dimension after performing a friendship ritual. Suddenly, they are trapped inside a decrepit school inhabited by the ghosts of former students. Despite its unsettling nature, the horror makes the game an unforgettable experience. Don't play this in the dark.

5 - Kindergarten 1 & 2 (2017, 2019)

Kindergarten is a game you would never imagine would be as good as it is. You play as a child entering kindergarten. Every day is Monday, and time never seems to move forward. That said, you keep some items at the end of your day. It takes a lot of planning and thinking ahead, but you can uncover the horrible things that happen at this school. This is a must-play title if you're into school-based RPGs.

4 - Doki Doki Literature Club (2017)

While Doki Doki Literature Club initially appears to be a visual novel dating sim, it quickly turns into a horror game. Because the game is coded to generate unsettling events randomly, you can always expect horror elements to appear when you least expect them. You'll love it for the storyline, but you'll stay because you feel guilty logging off and leaving the sentient AI alone in the dark.

Related: 5 best mystery video games that make you feel like a detective

3 - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010)

At first glance, this game appears to be a regular Visual Novel school simulator. All those school vibes end, however, when you discover a classmate's dead body and must determine who is responsible. The story is more like a detective game set in high school with an unpredictable ending that makes it easy for you to love it.

2 - The Persona Series (1996, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2016)

You are a student in every game in the Persona series. It is your responsibility to go to school, take tests, and save the world. It's basically everything you'd look for in a school-based RPG, from keeping friends to socializing while slaying demons and monsters in dungeons. The killer soundtrack is a bonus.

1 - Bully

The best way to feel like a student is Bully. As a student at a boarding school, you have to attend class at certain times, participate in school events, attend detention, dress your character, and try to make friends. This is also a well-written Rockstar game with combat that fits the setting. No other game has done school-based RPGs this well, which is why a sequel is perpetually requested.

For more games lists, check out 10 best DC video games here on Pro Game Guides!