Class 3, THIRD GRADE: Everything We Know

Jacob Honda, an independent developer based in Yamaguchi City, Japan, has lifted the veil on Class 3, THIRD GRADE, an upcoming 1980s-inspired first-person escape room game for PC. According to the indie studio, the nostalgia-centric game will allow you to rediscover the “80s children’s world, both heartwarming and cruel, while reminiscing about the suddenly vanished chicken in the school’s animal shed after summer vacation.” Confused? Us too.

At the time of writing, we’re not entirely sure what Class 3, THIRD GRADE is, if not a portal to a timeless world of Rubik’s memorabilia and eighties cult fiction. But, for the sake of filling in as many boxes as possible and lathering a bit of context on the matter, we thought we’d go on a bit of a research expedition into the core of Jacob Honda’s creative process. Care to join us? Then let’s dial it back to 1980.

What Is Class 3, THIRD GRADE?

In a nutshell, Class 3, THIRD GRADE is a first-person “escape room” experience—a tribute for the “ice age generation”, according to its creators. The game, which will feature a series of rooms and other places of interest for the game’s protagonist, will reportedly include a number of themed puzzles, time-appropriate items, and a dream-like setting, to boot.

“CLASS 3, THIRD GRADE is a work for the ‘ice age generation,’” development team leader Makoto Nishizaki wrote in a press release. “We created it for those who feel a lead weight in their stomach when they hear ‘end-of-day meeting.’ We hope you’ll experience the reality of the 80s children’s world, both heartwarming and cruel, while reminiscing about the suddenly vanished chicken in the school’s animal shed after summer vacation.”

It isn’t clear which projects inspired Class 3, THIRD GRADE, but from the looks of things, the game will be a little of Escape Academy mixed with various visual novel elements. Don’t take our word on that though.

Story

The story will focus on I, a regular commuter who, like countless others, has since fallen victim to an ordinary routine that holds no real value outside of the office. The prelude, which appears to take place in the aforementioned office building, will see players breaking away from this “monotonous” cycle and returning to their childhood home—a labyrinthine ode to the eighties.

“One day, on an otherwise unremarkable morning, while commuting, “I” unexpectedly wanders into the childhood room once inhabited,” the blurb reads in part. “It is a world where the boundary between dreams and reality is blurred. Memories of childhood, which had transformed into vague and pastoral images over many years, start to regain their original clarity.”

“Amidst a mix of nostalgia and anxiety, “I” is forced to confront my past. Will “I” be able to return to the real world from this labyrinth of memories? And what changes will this encounter with the past bring to “my” life?” Curious.

Gameplay

The gameplay aspect is the cloudiest part of the mechanism, and the one component that has yet to receive the same proper attention. It appears that there’ll be a mixture of logical puzzles, choice-based dialogue, and “multiple endings” to unlock, though. As for the additional layers that will flesh out the smaller areas of Class 3, THIRD GRADE, well, that’s another thing. Apparently, there will be some degree of AI in the game, with the developer claiming that several “textures, sprites, and translations” will be AI-driven. That bodes well for the dreamscape setting, then; it isn’t as if AI is a stranger to rustling up, shall we say, questionable fever-like illustrations. Let’s just hope it works here, and that AI isn’t the sole source for the game’s development.

Development

In case you missed out on the earlier announcement, Jacob Honda initially teased the outlines for Class 3, THIRD GRADE back in early February 2025. Till this point, the team haven’t provided any details outside of the initial announcement update and trailer reveal (we’ll get to that in a moment). However, the studio has made it clear that, while the game won’t be targeting a console launch, it will be gearing up for a soft launch on PC via Steam. It has also been stated that the game will include AI—a fact that has since sparked some level of uncertainty about the authenticity of the project.

Trailer

A fleeting assortment of anime characters; a flickering strobe effect of an animated montage depicting puzzles and other intricate details; and a collection of mysterious locations and contextless images. Yes, Class 3, THIRD GRADE features all of the above in its recently published announcement trailer — and we’ve no real indication of what it all means. But we’ll leave that for you to decipher. If you’re interested in playing the part of a detective, then be sure to check out Jacob Honda’s debut trailer in the snippet embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Class 3, THIRD GRADE will launch on PC via Steam on an undisclosed date this coming March for $4.99. It it unclear yet whether or not it will launch on Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch. However, it appears that the game will be available exclusively on PC for the foreseeable future.

Jacob Honda’s latest title won’t have any special editions on launch, but rather, a traditional digital version that will be available via Steam.

You can find more information on Jacob Honda’s Class 3, THIRD GRADE by following the official X handle here. For additional updates and pre-launch news coverage, be sure to add the game to your wishlist on Steam here.