Ren'Py - The Headmaster [v0.16.4.3] [Altos and Herdone]

Quick backstory, there are so many VN games made with Ren'Py that have the same 3D model bases that I've filtered out Ren'Py games from my searches because I've gotten sick of always seeing the same thing. Many of these games only have still images though there are a few that have animated scenes.

However, considering how highly rated this was, seeing the recommendation in a post that lists great games, and looking at the tags and description, I gave this a try. I was not at all disappointed.

This game is amazing. The story is great, the characters are likeable, and the animated scenes (when there are some, which is actually a lot) are very nice. Even though there's a lot of the game that is planned and not yet implemented, there's plenty of content to keep you entertained for a while.

I look forward to all the upcoming updates for this game in the future.

It's without a doubt the game I enjoyed playing the most. Wonderful progression, impeccable art, charismatic and deep characters, immersive experience, the best game I've played so far. Thank you developer!

I played the game and found it engaging enough to keep going. The experience was consistent, and I was interested in seeing how things unfolded. It maintained a good pace and kept me involved throughout. Now that I’ve finished, I’m looking forward to more content to see where it goes next.

Graphic: 5/5. Perfect depiction of teenager female bodies, Lucy and Rachel both are very cute.
Story: 5/5. Abosolutely enchanting, Tension of story pulling me to keep playing. Some romance scenes worth reading twice.
Gameplay: 4/5. It's more than an ordinary VN. Stat indicators are designed to be important but not yet due to development process. Segs play wise players have more control over the punishing methods and it would be better if sex scenes are more interactive.
Sound: 4/5. Sound quality not too high but won' complain because independent game creators have their limits. Doesn't affect the superb quality of the game.
Content available so far: Played 3 days in my free time and just reached chapter 2. I think I'm reaching the end of the content so far but that's already quite a lot.

This game cracks me up. The thought balloons of the headmaster are perfect, going from serious to 'lets get crazy with these chicks'. I hope the dev keeps going. We need to get into the teacher's apartments and the blond teacher needs to learn how to discipline

One of the greatest adult games ever made !

Not only are all of the girls cute and diverse enough for each person's preferences, but all of the individual storylines are well written and the scenes are great.

It's high quality in every single aspect, a must play!

I had such a great time playing The Headmaster.

At first I wasn't hoping very much (mostly because of the look of the MC that I really don't like) but I got really into it fast.

I really enjoyed the slow build up and the sandbox part of the game is really well paced and help your suspension of disbelief because the world feel alive around you.

Great art, great animation, great writing. A most play is for looking for a great build-up.

This is my first avn and the best for me
I love the graphics , lucy is my best character that evolved slow but sure.
The game have lewd sounds and music.
Altos and Herdone

I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the elements in this game. At first I thought it was just going to be a spanking simulator, good for a few laughs and then you're done. But I was gravely mistaken.

The story is well written, the characters can sometimes be hilarious (does anyone else wish Ada was named Meg at the last board room meeting? ) and the story can also sometimes be, surprisingly, moving. As you help the various characters in the game get over their hangups and insecurities they will describe some all too common issues that I know many people actually go through.

The BDSM elements are thoroughly and responsibly described, consent is highlighted as being of the utmost importance, which it is and when the MC describes how to properly do something... Well let me tell you, whoever wrote this knows what they are talking about. I have a passing knowledge of a lot of the BDSM elements noted in the game (safe words, subspace, etc), more than most, a lot less than some and it's clear to me that the writer(s) either did a ton of research or had high level knowledge of proper sex/BDSM practices.

I played version 16.4 and the only disappointment I had was when I ran into the content wall (started running out of things to do). I experienced no bugs during a full playthrough (completed all the quests).

I guess if I had to provide a critique I'd say in terms of game design, the passing of new rules seems to come in waves (you'll go weeks without passing a new rule and then pass 3 or 4 once you hit an influence threshold). That might need to be reviewed, but it in no way actually negatively impacted the gaming experience.

I sincerely hope that the dev team continues the development of this game, I can't wait to see what's next in the story.

In summary, come for the booba, stay for the actual really good game!

first of you get an option to skip at the beginning always take the chance to skip the beginning part is a real pain I promise you. now I'm open minded I quite enjoy playing as the not good guy and I apricate this as Frances's contribution to gaming erotica but there's one big problem that means I'm deducting points. despite its good plot its beautiful 3d modeling its polish etc. you can only have sex with 3 of the students and that is counting handies now I don't think that sex is the focus of the game BUT YOU GOTA ATLEAST GIVE US THE OPTION!!!!

This game sets the standard for what a sandboxy AVN should be. The writing is also top notch even though the premise appears silly on the surface. As some other reviewer remarked, on the one hand there's an element of social commentary on the oppression nature of British boarding schools and culture in general. But it also lightly touches on younger generations not having discipline, lacking purpose, and having a general disillusionment about life and the future.

Social commentary aside, there's a vast cast of characters each with a different kink, issue or fantasy, and you get to find out about each of them individually. The girls have a wide range of personalities, body types and preferences. There's something for everyone here. Even though the headmaster is clearly enjoying the situation as any man would, the girls are also growing as characters and letting go of their past issues. Obviously that happens with a good amount of "porn logic", but it is cleary well written and thought through.

The game loop itself is also masterfully done. Whereas with most AVNs we're just hoping the dev finishes the story before abandoning the project, this is one of the few titles that actually doesn't need an ending at all. The devs could keep adding girls, changing school years, moving to different schools and repeating the main game loop. We get a hint of some of that with a few new girls joining the school towards the later chapters, but their stories hasn't progressed a lot so we're left wondering for now.

Then there's the depth of psychological analysis. Obviously it requires some suspension of disbelief given the porn aspect of it, but I think the writers--it's hard to call them just developers--do actually know a fair bit about psychology. So much so that I actually teared up in one scene where a character reveals their struggle with a disability. I don't think that has ever happened to me after playing 50-100 titles.

Finally, despite all the psychological depth and complexity, the game feels humorous and straightforward. Maybe I'm guilty of laughing harder than I should at character names like Paul Mykock and Reilly Goodhead--after all, my username isn't MaxRichard by accident, or Max Dick, as my friends call me. But I just enjoyed the whole ride here, constantly laughing and spanking hot young girls.

Surely the renders could be better, but then again this game was started in 2019 so it's using that kind of technology, and again doing so artfully. Tons of animations, bouncing boobs, a rich UI that also doesn't have any unnecessary clicks... It's just 10/10 in every regard.

Good game about being a Headmaster.

Pros -
1. Good variety of characters with different characteristics.
2. Each has unique outcome and final scene.
3. Good rendering and animation.
4. Good character models.

Cons.
1. The game looks primarily focused around spanking.
2. The classes and school activities are not fleshed out.
3. The punishment feature is just rince repeat in most cases.
4. No alternate ending or branching storylines.

This is the best novel I've seen. With a realistic setting and good gameplay.
A good social commentary on the dubious dealings of the rich and the English love of oppressing students in boarding schools.

- Interesting story, very funny at times, it has some nice remarkable moments, many plots are engaging, however, there were also quests that, in my opinion, were there just to unncecesarily overextend the story.

- The writing is good most of the time, but there are also a few times where it gets too dense.

- The MC is good actually, however, I have to say I didn't get him quite well, because I thought at the beginning He did everything for the sake of the girls (at least in his mind that was always a priority), however, there are times when he gives the impression that he does things just to his self-gratification (or have inner thoughts where he implies that's doing it for self-gratification). Maybe this is a writing issue??

- Girls are great, despite being many you get to know them and their personalities, so they are well written (except for Rachel which quest felt kinda dull)

- Renders are Ok.

- Animations are great, especially the non-lewd ones, the developers know where to put them so they make the story more enjoyable and memorable. This is the right way to use them.

- Others: I have to confess that by the day 115 I got a bit fed up with some dull quests and dense wirting and the thought of quitting the game crossed my mind, but I decided not to, luckily it got better towards the end (of this version 0.16.3 )

Overall the game is quite enjoyable. I'd give it an 8/10. It's worth checking out, especially if you love spankings xD.

As of 0.16.3

If you haven't played this game - it's great. Variety of characters, each of them explores some specific kink within general theme of the game. Start might be a bit slow, but as the game progresses - interesting events keep happening.

And once you completed current content... forget about ever coming back. Updates are extremely rare and usually they focus on a single girl, so all others feel stuck forever.

I enjoyed this game greatly with the content that is there. But i don't get same highs from updates, so i won't be coming back.

This game is very well done, the scenarios are believable and humorous. Each of the characters feel unique and it's easy to empathize with them. Also props for not making the mc either too perfect or unlikeable, it can be hard to manage. You don't need cheats or a walkthrough really, the hints in-game work well. 9.5/10

I played this game long ago but I never reviewed it till today so here I am. I played it a couple of hours at least before I decided it was far too slow for me and there were too many characters. So many that I found it difficult to get invested on any. Felt like the personalities of some were pretty much the same with just different models. However, like I said, I played this game long ago. I'll give it another go this weekend and then maybe I'll revisit this review. Still, it's a trainer game and you can never have enough of those.

This game is so great... slowly opens up with more and more options for corruptions. Gaining back power gradually. A variety of girls with different personalities... This is very interesting and fulfills my dream as a headmaster of a girl's school

I love this game, it has everything I like. A bit too few toys, but the ones that are available are also okay. The story is wonderful, with each update there is more and more of it. I will definitely buy this game when it comes out on Steam in the full version!!

Massive 5 stars. This game is one of a kind and stands out on so many levels.

There's the setting - a whole, slightly apocalyptic, backstory that has enough roots in reality to resonate. The dark forces in the background are only hinted at but are omnipresent and add a whole layer of suspense to the game.

There are the individual stories of students, staff and others, worked out in great detail and meticulously summarized in the notebook. These give you a great handle on the game and the amazing thing is that there is no random behaviour, but each persona behaves naturally and consistent to their character. Also, there are few if any of the standard porn-game tropes in sight. These characters resemble real people with believable back stories, the likes of which you could conceivably come across in your daily life.

There's also the delightful tongue-in-cheek humour in the game, which frequently has me in stitches. Dialogues that turn bizarre because of the weird situations they're being played out in, the creative acronyms and the hilarious names given to some of the antagonists ("Harry Kuntz" anyone?) - it's pure comedy.

But the best thing of course is the Headmaster himself. A depraved man by anyone's standards... and yet he has a kind streak and is in his own way a moral person. He sees himself as an exceptionally enlightened educator and has set himself on a mission to save Western Civilization from oblivion no less. This leads to an amazing stream of inner thoughts and lectures to staff and students in which he actually manages to completely justify all his actions. In the course of the game he either persuades or overawes everyone he comes into contact with to follow his line of thinking. Even as a player behind your screen you may find yourself nodding along with his reasoning, only to realize later you've arrived at some ridiculous outcome.

This game is so well conceived and written it can - and hopefully will - continue for years to come without getting stale or boring. Thank you Devs and keep the updates coming please.