History VideoGame / BlackCloset

* YouLoseAtZeroTrust: There are two "life bars", which are essentially the reputation of the student council and the school. As is explained in the tutorial, if you lose too much of either one, they'll restore their reputation by blaming everything on you and kicking you out.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Between her harsh expressions, overdone makeup and excellent performing skill, Thaïs does not look like she's tied for the youngest member of the council.

* EasterEgg: The HolidayMode variant. If you play the game on [[AprilFools April 1st]] or [[AllHallowsEve October 31st]], there will be a special variant of the goth case and the drug case. In the goth case[[spoiler: the goth is actually a vampire who is intent on purifying the world. After she turns enough of the students, she will then bite Elsa, which causes a NonStandardGameOver.]] For the drug case [[spoiler: the girls are taking part in bioengineering experiment that is modifying their bodies into insects.]]

* EasterEgg: The [[HolidayMode]] variant. If you play the game on [[AprilFools April 1st]] or [[AllHallowsEve October 31st]], there will be a special variant of the goth case and the drug case. In the goth case[[spoiler: the goth is actually a vampire who is intent on purifying the world. After she turns enough of the students, she will then bite Elsa, which causes a NonStandardGameOver.]] For the drug case [[spoiler: the girls are taking part in bioengineering experiment that is modifying their bodies into insects.]]

* ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou: Althea is used to dating timid freshmen who follow her lead, and if you take the more assertive conversation options with her, she's taken off guard but also impressed. [[spoiler: It's the easiest way to get her best romance ending, in which you continue dating after high school and go on a cruise together.]]

* NintendoHard: The initial learning curve is harsh.

* ShoutOut: The Steam achievement for [[spoiler: having your Queen poisoned by the Red Mask Society]] is named [[VisualNovel/LongLiveTheQueen Long Live the Queen]].

* BigBrotherIsEmployingYou: Though you represent the governance of a school rather than a nation, you're still essentially the chief of the secret police.

** Copiously references VideoGame/Floor13, [[https://steamcommunity.com/app/400580/discussions/0/517142253858920677/ confirmed by word of god]]. Both games have a similar timeframe-turn-based system, in which you execute shadowy, sometimes ethically questionable activities to maintain the reputation and prestige of your employer, dealing with time-limited randomized cases, with optional missions for a secret society you can work for on the side, and a limited pool of investigatory resources. The aforementioned secret society is a very specific shout-out to Floor 13. It could almost be considered a SpiritualSuccessor - though the developers never actually ''played'' Floor 13, despite using it for inspiration.

* AlphaBitch: Thaïs, mildly subverted. She has the blond hair and attitude, but she's not popular (anymore) and apparently hates the idea of ''being'' popular.

* BigSisterInstinct: Althea for Thaïs, to the point that she got a reputation for being violent due to how she would act toward anyone who bullied her.

* BrilliantButLazy: Althea only joined the student council to satisfy her parents and add her participation to a university application, obviously doesn't care about doing a good job for the most part [[spoiler: and will flake out and only act every other day on any route but her own unless her loyalty is boosted.]] She's also remarkably talented at extracting information from other students, as her two highest stats are Social and Intimidation, which are the key stats for the Harass action.
* TheBully: Althea used to be.

* ClingyJealousGirl: Even when not [[spoiler: pushed to {{Yandere}} levels]], Vonne has elements of this. She's been in love with you for years and will express disapproval of your forming a close relationship with the other girls on their paths, even if you deny romantic intentions. [[spoiler: On her path, if you make her as jealous and paranoid as possible, she'll kick out not only Mallory, who's implied to get a lot of attention from other girls and might have been a point of contention between you two before, but Rowan, whom you probably haven't spoken to privately in months.]]
** One of the variants of the case "Trouble in Paradise" is that one of a pair of best friends has made a new friend and the other girl is jealous. Sometimes you can persuade the jealous girl that all three of them can be friends, but sometimes she won't be happy unless you harass the new friend into staying away.

* EvilTeacher: [[spoiler: Miss Talmage. The final case reveals that she's been influencing things behind the scenes to cause more cases because her pay grade increases with the amount of trouble she has to deal with.]]
* FaceHeelRevolvingDoor: If [[spoiler: Rowan]] is the traitor, [[HeelFaceTurn getting her to confess]] and protecting her will let you keep her on the council. [[WhatTheHellHero If you romance and mistreat her]], [[spoiler: [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment she'll turn traitor again and will resume sabotaging her assignments.]]]]
* FeaturelessProtagonist: Averted with Elsa Jackson, though it's not made immediately obvious. She does has a MultipleChoicePast and can range from taciturn and cruel to warm and affectionate depending on your choices; however she is also noted to unflappable and always collected, verging on TheComicallySerious. Her past relationships with Vonne and Althea are also set in stone, as is the fact that she's black.

* ForgottenChildhoodFriend: Elsa doesn't seem to remember her childhood friendship with Vonne or why it ended, but on her route you can reveal through dialogue choices that [[spoiler: the teachers forced them to stop being friends for some reason.]]

* HotTeacher: Miss Talmage may not make the best first impression [[spoiler: and is definitely making things harder than they should be,]] but she's still quite attractive.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Vonne, to the point where she's already having damaged furniture in the student council room replaced before the other members are even introduced, and being the only one observant enough to notice [[StealthHiBye Rowan]] in the room, including Elsa. [[spoiler: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by her being Elsa's {{Forgotten Childhood Friend}} while also having loved her for years; of course she'd want to make herself as useful to her as possible.]]

* LiteralMinded: Rowan tends to be.

* NewTransferStudent: Mallory; she was popular enough to get elected to the Student Council despite this.
* NiceGirl: Mallory is as close to this as St. Claudine's students go. She's all sweetness and light in the majority of her conversations, worries about Rowan [[spoiler: if Elsa makes the latter her slave]] and [[spoiler: is the only traitor who won't let the fire start at the Harvest Festival if she was protected and not chosen as Queen without requiring a scapegoat.]]

* NoSocialSkills: Rowan is very quiet, gives blunt and literal answers to questions, and generally doesn't seem to like interacting with people much. It's reflected in-game as well, with her Social and Intimidation skills being the lowest of your minions (though she makes up for it with high Stealth and Observation).

* ReallyGetsAround: Althea.

* ScholarshipStudent: Rowan.

* SocialFu: All of the Charm and Intimidate options are pretty much this. [[spoiler: It's also what the FinalBoss fight is.]]

* SubmissiveBadass: Rowan, for a given definition of {{Badass}}. She's by far the best at sneaking around and observing her surroundings, and [[spoiler: can become Elsa's personal slave without complaint, only requesting her help in getting revenge on a bully. There's even an option on that path to answer her {{And Then What}} question by telling her to serve you, which raises her loyalty if it isn't maxed out.]]

* FinalBoss: Yes really. [[spoiler: It's Miss Talmage in a long SocialFu battle.]]

* IncompatibleOrientation: No matter how much you tempt her, Mallory is ultimately straight.

* FeaturelessProtagonist: Averted with Elsa Jackson, though it's not made immediately obvious. She does has a MultipleChoicePast and can range from taciturn and cruel to warm and affectionate depending on your choices; however she is also noted to unflappable and always collected, verging on TheComicallySerious. Her past relationships with Vonne and Althea is also set in stone, as is the fact that she's Black.

* AdultFear: This boarding school is indeed full of shenanigans, including some that endanger people's safety, like ''bombs''. One wonders what all the parents of these girls would think if they knew even a tenth of what occurred on a weekly basis.

* GodzillaThreshold: Expulsions should always be last resorts, since they come with an unavoidable reputation loss. [[spoiler: They're also the only way to deal with goths who hate everyone, nude models who claim their 'work' is art, and slave rings if you missed your chance to solve it in a less drastic manner.]]

* BrilliantButLazy: Althea only joined the student council to satisfy her parents and add her participation to a university application, obviously doesn't care about doing a good job for the most part [[spoiler: and will flake out and only act every other day on any route but her own.]] She's also remarkably talented at extracting information from other students, as her two highest stats are Social and Intimidation, which are the key stats for the Harass action.

* Some case variants can be this as well, especially if you miss critical clues. Prime examples are the goth case if she hates everyone, where your only choice is to [[spoiler: expel her,]] or the slave ring version of the secret society [[spoiler: if you miss your chance to determine the freshmen involved, leaving you with no choice but to suspend or expel the seniors.]]

* UngratefulBastard: Get your traitor to confess and protect her from expulsion when the moment of truth comes, but choose someone else as Queen? Enjoy your game over. [[spoiler: Unless your traitor is Thïas, who'll accept using Althea as a scapegoat, or Mallory, who is such a {{Nice Girl}} that she doesn't hold not being chosen against you.]]

** There's also a variant of the case "A Lost Lamb" where [[spoiler: one of the girls is keeping the missing student tied up in her closet. Depending on how long it takes you to solve the case, possibly for ''multiple days.'']]

** Vonne is Elsa's {{Hypercompetent Sidekick}} and the only one to notice Rowan in the room when the student council first meets. Stat-wise, she's a {{Jack Of All Trades}} save for her Observation, which is tied for the highest with Rowam.