Test Of Courage
Just Sauce Studio · 2020 · Adventure, Indie, Exploration, Horror, Survival Horror
PC
Very Positive89% · 64
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About Test Of Courage
Test of Courage is a first-person horror game set in a abandoned school setting. The school is called Brave Wood Academy, and you play as Marco. Marco is a Brave Wood alumni along with his two friends, Ralph and Natalia. Shortly after your graduation, Natalia sent a letter and disappeared. One year later, Ralph discovered a message hidden within the letter. The only hint Natalia had given was the Courage Test.
The Courage Test is a challenge that requires the challenger to explore the school after hours in search of 10 items while maintaining their sanity.
World Setting In this game's universe, history diverges from our own near the end of World War 2. Thomas Crowder, a war journalist, discovers a new threat to humanity while documenting the aftermath of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Monsters had appeared near the ruins and were given the name Crowder's Buffers. After the war, Buffers began appearing after huge casualties caused by humans. They would never venture out past the area that they had appeared in, and it was impossible for humans to reclaim the lost territories. Over the past few decades, Crowder's Buffers would be left alone. Scientists and experts would be sent in to learn more about these creatures.
Brave Wood Academy was the school that Marco, Ralph, and Natalia all attended. It was a private school that had a program allowing gifted students to attend the academy tuition free. At the end of every year, the administration would select two seniors for a special program that would send them to the university of their dreams. Underneath the gleaming image of the school however, students spoke of dangerous rumors. Mysterious creatures had been sighted on campus after dark. After a sighting was documented, the creatures were identified as Buffers. Before the situation could get any worse, the school shut down before that information could be made public.
Game play
Throughout the game you'll have to maintain your sanity and health while venturing through the school. Find and take pills to restore sanity/health, or batteries and other items for light sources. Not everything you see is real, certain attacks from buffers are in your mind and will only reduce your sanity. Other attacks will be physical and will damage your health. Explore the school grounds and discover more about the school's dark history along with more information on Crowler's Buffers.
The Courage Test is a challenge that requires the challenger to explore the school after hours in search of 10 items while maintaining their sanity.
World Setting In this game's universe, history diverges from our own near the end of World War 2. Thomas Crowder, a war journalist, discovers a new threat to humanity while documenting the aftermath of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Monsters had appeared near the ruins and were given the name Crowder's Buffers. After the war, Buffers began appearing after huge casualties caused by humans. They would never venture out past the area that they had appeared in, and it was impossible for humans to reclaim the lost territories. Over the past few decades, Crowder's Buffers would be left alone. Scientists and experts would be sent in to learn more about these creatures.
Brave Wood Academy was the school that Marco, Ralph, and Natalia all attended. It was a private school that had a program allowing gifted students to attend the academy tuition free. At the end of every year, the administration would select two seniors for a special program that would send them to the university of their dreams. Underneath the gleaming image of the school however, students spoke of dangerous rumors. Mysterious creatures had been sighted on campus after dark. After a sighting was documented, the creatures were identified as Buffers. Before the situation could get any worse, the school shut down before that information could be made public.
Game play
Throughout the game you'll have to maintain your sanity and health while venturing through the school. Find and take pills to restore sanity/health, or batteries and other items for light sources. Not everything you see is real, certain attacks from buffers are in your mind and will only reduce your sanity. Other attacks will be physical and will damage your health. Explore the school grounds and discover more about the school's dark history along with more information on Crowler's Buffers.
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
I'm definitely playing this developer's games out of order but I still enjoyed it. Learned more lore about this "buffer" and it was interesting.
Test Of Courage, developed and published by Just Sauce Studio, is a compact first-person horror experience that builds its identity around atmosphere, exploration, and a steady sense of unease rather than mechanical complexity. Set within the eerie confines of an abandoned school, it follows a familiar premise—returning to a place tied to a mystery—but manages to sustain engagement through careful pacing and environmental storytelling rather than relying purely on shock value. The narrative places players in the role of Marco, who ventures into the deserted Brave Wood Academy after receiving a cryptic message connected to the disappearance of two friends. The story unfolds gradually as players explore the building, uncovering clues and piecing together what happened. Rather than relying heavily on cutscenes or exposition, the game uses its environment to convey information, encouraging players to pay attention to details scattered throughout the school. This approach gives the experience a sense of discovery, even if the overall plot remains relatively straightforward. Gameplay centers on exploration and light puzzle-solving. Players move through interconnected areas of the schoo…
I played Born Into Fear and was about to play Pact of Joy, but when I realised it was a whole universe I decided to play this first, and it explained a few things I wasn't sure of, so I'm looking forward to playing Pact of Joy even more now. I don't play a lot of horror games but it's a genre I'm trying to get into, this game was fun and I liked the story, the jump scares were good (I usually hate jump scares) and for a first game I think it's a pretty good attempt. Born Into Fear did feel more polished, and Pact of Joy is another big step in quality, so it's good to see the improvements from game to game. I'll be sticking around for any more games they make
This game had some great scares. BILLY! I liked the choices with different endings. The puzzles, church and school were all well created. The music changes made my body tense! I was fully invested in the story. I was scared, on the edge of my seat while determined to make the best of the situation going on in the game. A well thought out game. I loved the puzzles!
Small but entertaining horror game. First one from this dev. It has an interesting setting, some puzzles (mostly finding object to continue on the path), good atmosphere. A few areas with actual danger, so it's not just a walking sim. Pretty dark overall, requiring you to use various lightsources, like a flashlight or a lighter. At first, I was constantly afraid of running out of batteries or lighter fluid. Same for some other resources you might need. Turned out this was totally unnecessary because there's plenty of everything to be found. Nothing complicated or out of the ordinary. Just a good mix of reasonably easy puzzles and fun exploration. Very good for a first project.
good game. a better version of games similar to this. had good puzzles, story and enough intrigue to complete it. would recommend.
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