Back to Skool

The game

A school full of possibilities

The action reaches across the boys’ and girls’ schools, with classrooms, a science laboratory, a kitchen, and outdoor spaces forming an interconnected puzzle setting. Desks can conceal useful equipment, while animals and apparently ordinary fixtures have practical roles. Looking around is part of the work: a room’s contents may matter as much as its occupants.

Pranks with a purpose

Progress depends on combining actions rather than simply collecting objects. Cups can hold liquids and be knocked down with a catapult; water can also make flowers grow. Teachers hold pieces of information, so their whereabouts matter. The distinctive pleasure is discovering how a small disruption can create an opening somewhere else.

This edition

ZX Spectrum edition

The original Spectrum setup defaults to keyboard controls and offers suggested character names. During the ten-second opening countdown, pressing a letter key lets you change those names or choose from the supported joystick types. The commands below are the original Spectrum keyboard labels.

Start here

1. Get comfortable moving

   Make a short circuit of the accessible school areas before attempting a complicated prank. Practice changing direction and judging where you can stand; later interactions depend on being in the right place.

2. Search a desk

   Sit at a classroom desk, then press O to open it. This is how to check its contents, and desks are the documented hiding places for the water pistol and stink bombs.

3. Read the school rules

   Treat the brother’s annotated rules as a set of leads. Choose one manageable interaction to investigate first, and keep track of what it requires before trying to connect several pranks.

Original controls

These are the original game's controls. For keyboard, controller and touch settings in this player, see Controls & help.

Move and run

Q/A/O/P: up/down/left/right. Hold CAPS SHIFT with a direction to move faster.

Jump and sit

J or L: jump/leap. S: sit or stand.

Make trouble

F: fire catapult. G: shoot water pistol. H: hit. D or U: drop a stink bomb if carrying one. T: discard water pistol.

Handle animals

C: catch a mouse or frog. R: release a mouse; this works only in the girls’ school.

Use the bicycle

M: mount. Alternate O and P to pedal. Q: stand on the saddle. A: dismount. You can jump from the standing position.

Write on a blackboard

W: begin writing. ENTER: finish.

Playing tips

• Watch before firing

  For an overhead prank, line up the target beneath the container before taking the shot. A useful setup still needs the right timing.

• Keep clear notes

  Record each teacher’s clue separately, distinguishing letters from numbers. The instructions describe different information chains, and mixing their clues will make progress harder to follow.

• Think vertically

  When something seems unreachable, consider elevation before abandoning the idea. The instructions make height an explicit part of several interactions.