
But when the MC and Autumn show up at a Hearst football game, Julian is banned from playing the game for the remaining season as a result of fighting Max. To their dismay, he turns them down because his being at the school is the only opportunity to be recognized by football scouts, as he is not entirely good in school or other activities. They immediately receive a text from the main enemy, Max Warren, son of the principal of Hearst (or Kara Sinclair, head cheerleader, depending on the gender of the MC) and are threatened stating that unless their school contains fifteen students, it will be closed down.Īfter an introduction to Autumn's friend, Julian, the two characters try to convince him to transfer to the MC's school from Hearst due to him not being able to play because his coach benches him for Max. After a basic tutorial on the game, Autumn confides in the MC that she is miserable at a future rival school called Hearst High and wishes to attend the MC's school. The game begins with the MC (Main Character) in an empty lot and is first introduced to the character Autumn Brooks. The player may only have one Party Central and therefore can only send two classmates to party at a time. All parties take place in Party Central, which can be found in the Buildings tab for 1000 coins and is unlocked after a certain quest is completed.

Partying is a game mechanic which allows players to gain special classmates without having to pay directly for them in Admissions. There are various types in High School Story which range from basic types such as a Jock, Nerd or Prep to "combined" classmates like Cheerleader, Gamer or Student Government, and the player can gain other students through two different methods: They can either buy students from Admissions using Coins or Rings, or they can try "Partying" to get the type of student they want. In the beginning of the game, the player is able to choose their gender and type, though they are only able to choose from three particular cliques: Nerd, Prep, or Jock. Coins can also be collected from Hangouts, as each student produces a certain amount of coins per hour depending on their type and level. The player receives coins and rings from finishing quests, though they can also purchase coins and rings with real money in the Store. In order to get Hangouts and Land Plots, the player needs to acquire Coins and Rings. The player is able to not only customize their appearance, but also the appearances of all other students in the school, excluding main characters created by the game (Autumn, Payton, Julian, etc.). In order to build up the school, the player must complete quests to progress through the story, obtain Classmates (who are categorized by their cliques), Hangouts (where Students can 'hang out'), and Land Plots (to put Hangouts and other various Decorations). The player is a student attempting to build their own high school, with no given name. High School Story was a choice-based simulation game.
