A supernatural detective mystery, set during Halloween, with influences from Hammer Horror, Mike Mignola, and Irish folklore? They had me at Halloween. By jove, this one is in my wheelhouse. It was an absolute pleasure to sit with Treasa McCabe, the lead designer for the aptly named Spooky Door, and be given a guided tour of the supremely atmospheric Blake Manor.
The setup for The Séance of Blake Manor is pure catnip to me, and will delight fans of all things ghostly and mysterious. It is the 29th October, 1897 in Victorian-era West Ireland, and a ragtag bunch of mystics from around the globe have gathered at a creepy hotel to take part in a séance that is intended to break open the space-time-ghost continuum and allow humans to directly communicate with the dead. Yeah, as if things like that ever pan out well! And true to form, dabbling with all of this supernatural gubbins has resulted in some nefarious shit going down. A woman by the name of Evelyn Deane has gone missing from Blake Manor, so it is up to you as Detective Ward to turn up and solve the mystery.
A first-person detect ‘em up, this one has a three-game time loop mechanic, placing it in a similar vein to stuff like Majora’s Mask or even Dead Rising, where certain things happen at certain times, and you are well and truly against a ticking clock to investigate the disappearance.
Gameplay is a bit like a souped up version of Cluedo, as you move around the labyrinthine confines of the hotel, speaking to the owners and patrons, and finding little clues that enable you to do proper detective work, forming hypotheses that you are able to put forward and unlock the next phase of the investigation should your instinct be correct. The emphasis here is on being observant and meticulous but also to work economically with your time and carefully in order not to arouse suspicion if you are snooping around in places you shouldn’t be snooping. Oh yes, although there is no action to speak of such as combat, there is an element of peril as you can be thrown out of the hotel if you are caught at an inopportune moment by the powers that be.
After a slow-ish start where you work your way through the mystery of a forged signature and tentatively have a nose around the Manor, you go back to your room for a nights kip, and it here where things really step up a notch and the supernatural horror vibe is dialled up to an 11. The next day, the cast of characters is introduced and you realise the sheer size of the task at hand, and the number of moving parts involved in the investigation. It also ramps up the fantastical supernatural elements with a mind-bending dream sequence.
What I saw was beautifully written, with a number of nods to Irish folklore and language, and well-drawn character profiles brimming with personality and mystery. The Manor itself is essentially a character, too. There are times where it has you second guessing yourself; like, did I really just see that or did I imagine it? Just what the hell is it with these creepy turnip jack o’ lanterns? And what the hell is that glowing green paranormal contraption in the saloon?
With an art style that could have been straight from the worlds of Mike Mignola, and a plot that evokes the very best of olden days spooktacular horror fare, The Séance of Blake Manor is a game that I fell hook, line and sinker for after just watching the opening comic book panel intro which sets the scene deliciously. The detective work here feels significant and satisfying in a way I wasn’t expecting, like the ultimate version of playing Cluedo, if everything had of course gone completely south and Professor Plum and Miss Scarlett had got mixed up in supernatural matters beyond their control rather than clobbering each other with a candlestick holder.
The Séance of Blake Manor is coming soon for PC via Steam. Impressions based on a trip to Raw Fury HQ, travel and accommodation were paid for by the publisher.
