Raw Fury 10th Anniversary Preview: The Séance of Blake Manor

Whenever I play a mystery game and run into some kind of supernatural theme, such as ghosts, demons, or witchcraft, I immediately become suspicious. Often, these horror elements are mere obfuscation for the actual crime perpetrated by mortal human beings… but sometimes the game in question ends up pulling a last-minute twist with something from beyond the veil. However, some titles are much more upfront about where we stand, which brings us to Spooky Doorway’s The Séance of Blake Manor, which we were lucky enough to try out during our recent excursion to Raw Fury’s offices in Stockholm, Sweden.

Set in Ireland near the end of the 1890s, the game has us put on the high-collared jacket of Detective Declan Ward, who has been sent to the titular Blake Manor to investigate the disappearance of one Evelyn Deane. While a difficult task by itself, the investigation is made even more challenging by the current occupants of the building. You see, in 48 hours, a group of mystics from all over the world, the people you must investigate and interrogate, will attempt to talk to the dead in a séance, probably messing up and trampling any clues in the process.

The group of possible witnesses and culprits are eclectic at the best of times, so trying to pry out any information will require intelligent action and a sharp wit. As your investigation progresses and the day of the event, Halloween, closes in, you find your own sense of reality warped by horrid nightmares, ghoulish rituals, and horrors from beyond.

Like many detective games, Blake Manor uses a first-person perspective and mainly revolves around collecting clues, chatting up the residents, and putting together a hypothesis on just what is going on. Where the game differs, however, is in time. Looking about the house or reviewing your notes can be done without fear, but any major actions, such as talking to someone at length or dismantling a cupboard, will eat up some of that mercurial resource. Though the 48-hour deadline is your main worry, each person in the house has their own schedule, and certain events will occur on the dot, even if you are absent.

Using your time wisely and keeping an eye on what you know of everyone's comings and goings is a key factor in finding answers and uncovering secrets. Thankfully, Ward is more than his sharply dressed countenance may reveal, as his analytic mind is always whirring. Perceive each guest and note the peculiarities of their habitus and body language, then use that information to beguile, trick, or persuade them to help you find Evelyn.

If you find yourself being confused by more than five words at a time, as I am, you will be happy to hear Declan is a studious journaler and will jot down any and all points of interest for later consideration. At key points, you can also bring your thoughts together and fill in a sentence with your clues to form a hypothesis, unlocking further threads to follow and clues to chase! The system is forgiving enough not to confuse all but Sherlock Holmes himself, but is challenging enough that coming up with the result is satisfying.

Now, as I mentioned, not all is well in Blake Manor, and it truly seems the veil is thin. The general atmosphere is oppressive and most of the people staying give off vibes closer to creepy than not. The majordomo, for example, had me sweating bullets the instant we locked gazes! In addition to the worldly horror that is social interaction, Ward will find himself encountering more and more bizarre events as the séance draws closer… if you survive that long.

In our 45-minute session with The Séance of Blake Manor, we managed to fix a telegraph machine, got caught climbing into the majordomo's office through the window, made a deal to prove a psychic was a fraud, and found ourselves in a twisting nightmare of our deepest fears, as one does. We fixated on staring at each and every painting in case it moved, I threatened a statue, and we generally had a great time while failing to comprehend the deep lore on Irish spirituality of the Victorian era.

With a great comic book–esque aesthetic, intriguing mystery combining the supernatural and mundane, and a simple, but engaging detective system to make us feel smart, The Séance of Blake Manor has found its place on my wishlist and I look forward to seeing how the title will evolve during development. If you fancy a bit of supernatural detectivery, I heartily recommend giving the game a look and if you want to learn a bit of Irish, this may be the place… if your main use for the language is ancient spells and curses.