Satirical Video Games Codexery

Class of '09 (franchise)

An anti-visual novel rejection sim interactive sitcom.

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Max "SBN3" Field created the series, wrote its scripts, and provided voices for multiple male characters, while Wrath Club handled publishing for PC platforms.[1]

Making and release

The first game has 15 endings, the second has seven, and the third has five, with longer non-interactive sequences between decisions.[2] A fourth game called Class of '09: Puzzle Showdown, which shifts from visual novel mechanics to story-driven puzzle challenges, was revealed on June 12, 2026 and is scheduled for release on July 17, 2026.[3] Players interact with the visual novels by listening to voiced dialogue and making narrative decisions through text-message pop-ups displayed on a simulated mobile phone screen.[4] Reviewers have pointed out that the trilogy features voice acting for every line of dialogue, a rarity for visual novels, especially those created in English.[4]

The timeline for the first three games spans from autumn 2007 through summer 2009.[5] Multiple animated shorts have been created as part of the franchise.[6]

What the cited sources add

The same review describes the visuals as using slightly artifacted still images of real world locations, which the author found reminiscent of older network anime block advertisements.[7] The Pocket Gamer interview states that Field is the writer, producer, voice director, sound designer, sometimes actor, and overall lead designer for all three announced games.[8] Field told Pocket Gamer that the idea was taking years of crafting a comedic tone and plugging it into a marketable product, inserting "genuine American culture (mental illness, fast food, cutting class)".[8] The Natalie.TF review of the first game notes that Field has been voice directing since he was a teenager and that Class of '09 is an excellent showcase of his ability to cultivate skilled actors.[9]

The same review states that the game uses blurred photographs over illustrated or rendered backgrounds, giving it a cheap look at a glance.[9] The Natalie.TF review of The Re-Up describes the game as an "audio drama with a visual novel skin".[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Class of '09: The Re-Up on Steam", store.steampowered.com; Gregson-Wood, "Interview: Max Field, founder of SBN3, tells us why the next instalment of Class of '09 is NOT coming to mobile", Pocket Gamer, August 6, 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Class of '09: The Re-Up on Steam", store.steampowered.com; Lopez, "Class of '09: The Flip-Side is a weak ending to a beloved trilogy", The Mary Sue, September 29, 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Class of '09: Puzzle Showdown on Steam", store.steampowered.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Neumann, "Class of '09 Review", Natalie.TF, June 30, 2021; Klemke, "Class of '09: Everyone is Terrible.", The Refined Geek, August 3, 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: DeRuyter, "Class of '09 Trilogy Game Review: A Damn Good, Feel Bad Time (Spoilers)", Yattatachi, October 24, 2024; Davison, "Class of '09: Of Cynicism and Sociopathy", MoeGamer, September 3, 2023 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Class of '09 (franchise)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lopez, "Class of '09: The Flip-Side is a weak ending to a beloved trilogy", The Mary Sue, September 29, 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. DeRuyter, "Class of '09 Trilogy Game Review: A Damn Good, Feel Bad Time (Spoilers)", Yattatachi, October 24, 2024. facts only, no text reused. yattatachi.com
  8. Gregson-Wood, "Interview: Max Field, founder of SBN3, tells us why the next instalment of Class of '09 is NOT coming to mobile", Pocket Gamer, August 6, 2024. facts only, no text reused. pocketgamer.com
  9. Neumann, "Class of '09 Review", Natalie.TF, June 30, 2021. facts only, no text reused. natalie.tf
  10. Neumann, "Class of '09: The Re-Up Review", Natalie.TF, June 7, 2023. facts only, no text reused. natalie.tf

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Class of '09 (franchise) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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