🎮 Highschool53
First-person cinematic psychological horror
In development • PC (Steam) • Wishlist available
Introduction
Highschool53 is not a traditional horror game, nor an experience built on quick scares or momentary frights. It's a slow-burn psychological horror experience, carefully constructed around the feeling of being watched, losing control, and constantly questioning what's real and what's manufactured.
The game takes you inside an abandoned Saudi school—a place familiar in collective memory, but here it transforms into a suffocating, silent space filled with traces of experiments that were never meant to be conducted.
In Highschool53, danger doesn't always chase you…
Sometimes it's content just to watch.
Creative Vision
Highschool53 was developed with a clear vision: creating mature psychological horror that respects the player's intelligence and relies on accumulated tension, not rapid consumption.
The horror here:
- Doesn't scream
- Doesn't explain itself
- Doesn't grant you complete relief
Instead, it keeps you in a state of constant anticipation, where every detail—a sound, a shadow, or movement—might carry meaning.
Narrative Experience
The story in Highschool53 isn't told to you directly, nor presented through lengthy cinematic scenes. Instead, the narrative is built through:
Every piece of information you discover opens a new question, not a final answer. The game treats narrative as a psychological experience, not a traditional linear story.
Story Background (No Spoilers)
After a mysterious incident that was never officially documented, Highschool 53 was closed and erased from records. You're summoned to carry out a seemingly simple field assignment:
You play as Ahmed, a field officer, but the moment the gates close behind you, it becomes clear that the school isn't abandoned… it's active in its own way.
Game World - GENO ZUL Organization
What happens inside the school isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a research and experimentation system led by a mysterious entity known as:
GENO-ZUL GENETIC RESEARCH AUTHORITY (GZGRA)
An organization operating under the cover of genetic and therapeutic research, but managing closed programs that explore the boundaries of biological integration and neural perception.
Organization Reference: GENO ZUL Database
Sample Serial Number:
GZ-K9-HM-Σ-0147
Internal Designation: Sample 0147
Unofficial Name: The Watcher
The game doesn't explain the organization directly, but gradually reveals it through its traces and the results of its experiments.
Psychological Horror: How Does It Work?
The horror in Highschool53 is built on several core pillars:
1) Surveillance
- Cameras are everywhere
- They don't just watch, they control
- They change the environment, open and close paths, reveal or hide information
The constant feeling: You're not the only player in this place.
2) Anticipation
- Enemies don't attack immediately
- Long periods of silence
- Uncomfortable waiting before any confrontation
Fear doesn't come from the event… but from expecting it.
3) Perception
The game manipulates your perception:
- What you see may not be complete
- What you hear may not be nearby
- And what you understand now may change later
Gameplay Systems
First-Person + Bodycam Perspective
The experience is delivered from a first-person perspective, with bodycam perspective used at specific moments to enhance the feeling of instability.
Puzzles
Puzzles are:
- Part of the world
- Tied to the narrative
- Based on observation and connection
There are no puzzles "disconnected from context." Every puzzle has a reason, a place, and a consequence.
Entities (Enemies)
Enemies in Highschool53:
- Aren't random monsters
- Each entity has a backstory, symbol, and specific behavior
- Some observe more than they attack
One of these entities is Sample 0147 – The Watcher:
An entity defined not by its aggression, but by its awareness.
Sound as a Gameplay Tool
Sound is a core element of the experience:
- Some entities respond to sound
- Breathing, movement, and even stopping can have an impact
- Silence is sometimes the safest option
The game is designed to be played with headphones
Saudi Environment
The school and its surrounding environment are built with a realistic approach:
- Familiar layout
- Local details
- Genuine spatial sense
The goal isn't literal documentation, but psychological credibility—making you feel this place could actually exist.
Decisions & Endings
Highschool53 isn't a completely linear experience:
- Your decisions affect what you discover
- Some information you may never see
- Endings differ based on your choices and path
The game doesn't judge you by numbers… but by what you understood.
Technology
Artificial Intelligence (Responsible Use)
AI is used as an assistive tool only for:
All creative decisions and final content are entirely human-made.
Key Features
Target Audience
Highschool53 is designed for players who:
- Prefer psychological horror over quick scares
- Enjoy indirect storytelling
- Appreciate slow-burn, deep experiences
- Seek horror that lingers after closing the game
Conclusion
Highschool53 isn't a game that tries to scare you quickly.
It's a game that makes you doubt, wait, and watch… as you are watched.
Everything in it whispers to you:
You're not alone.
Everything is planned.
And escape… is not guaranteed.
About the Studio
Cup Code Studio is a Saudi studio for game and technology development, focusing on narrative, local identity, and practical quality with global standards.