What Kind of Game Is This?

After rushing through my own graduate school years, I kept wondering how to describe that experience. It was not simply repeating the same day a thousand times. It was a period shaped by limited time, changing demands, difficult choices, regrets, achievements, and a little absurdity.

Graduate School Simulator: Countdown to Graduation is an abstraction and reconstruction of that life. To make it a playable game, I distilled many real-life details into one central question: if you were given another chance, how would you spend those three years and still graduate with dignity?

Core Gameplay

The game draws inspiration from mahjong and poker-style hand building. Read papers, extract research points from different fields, and use them to write your own thesis or advance research projects and competitions. You can first skim an abstract to judge whether a paper is worth studying in depth.

• Write Papers
  A complete paper requires three research points from each of four research directions, along with specific combinations: in-depth research sets of three matching points, progressive runs of consecutive points, and a supporting pair. Your manuscript’s value and structure determine which journals you can submit to. Will you aim for a prestigious journal, or submit early to meet graduation requirements?

• Enter Competitions
  Recruit teammates within a project budget and assign them to different modules. Each competition has its own deadline, focus, and requirements. Every week, you can assign a limited number of teammates to advance the project by producing new cards, adjusting values, or replacing suits. Complete every module before the deadline to earn ratings, rewards, and achievements for your final resume.

You must also manage time, stress, and resources while dealing with advisor demands, peers’ requests, and unexpected events. Complete your goals within 48 weeks and find your own way to graduate.

Development Status

The core gameplay is now in place, with release planned for mid-September 2026.

Workshop and Custom Content

The game includes a built-in content editor that lets you customize contacts’ avatars, names, and dialogue. Workshop support is planned for a future update, with its final scope and release schedule to be announced later.