The game has overhead view of a field, city lot, or beach-side lot
where a school is to be built. The player places buildings and paths to
create the school's layout. The objectives in the game increase in
difficulty as the player progresses; an easy objective might be to get a
certain number of students into school, while a more difficult
objective would be to earn a certain amount of money within a time
limit. There is also a sandbox
game mode without specific objectives, giving the player the freedom to
build any type of school they desire. The game view can zoom in to
select individual students, or zoom out to look at the whole school. The
game also has speed controls, to accelerate the pace of events, and has
variable difficulty settings.
Students in the school can learn ten different subjects. When
starting off a school, the player can only afford small classrooms. As
money is earned, better and larger classrooms can be built, helping the
students to learn more. The player can build academic buildings, sports
facilities, entertainment buildings, and an assortment of other
structures such as statues, fountains, and food areas. It is also
possible to hire teachers and coaches with a variety of different
skills.
Cheats become accessible once the player enters the phrase, "Iamacheater".
