The Séance of Blake Manor

The Séance of Blake Manor
DeveloperSpooky Doorway
PublisherRaw Fury
PlatformsLinux, Windows
ReleaseOctober 27, 2025
GenresPuzzle, adventure
ModeSingle-player

The Séance of Blake Manor is a first-person puzzle game developed by the Irish independent studio Spooky Doorway and published by Raw Fury.[1] It was released for Linux and Windows on October 27, 2025.[2]

Plot

Set in Ireland in 1897, private investigator Declan Ward is hired by an anonymous client to investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane at Blake Manor.[3] Ward has only two days to solve the mystery, as a séance—scheduled to take place at the manor—threatens to cause further disappearances.[4][5]

Gameplay

The player controls Ward from a first-person perspective. The primary objective is to solve the mystery by exploring the Manor and interrogating its guests. A key gameplay element involves time management, as each action consumes a specific amount of in-game time. Furthermore, certain events occur in predetermined locations at fixed times and characters follow individual schedules that determine their whereabouts throughout the day.[5] The art style follows a comic book aesthetic,[1][3] while the setting draws inspiration from Irish mythology and the spiritualist movements of the Victorian era.[4]

Reception

The Séance of Blake Manor received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.[6] Aggregator OpenCritic determined that 94% of critics recommended the game.[7]

Critics drew favorable comparisons to Blue Prince[5][10][9] and praised several aspects of the gameplay, particularly the time-management mechanic.[5][10] Writing for GamesRadar+, Oscar Taylor-Kent stated that "it really makes the investigation feel tangible".[3]

The game's writing also received widespread acclaim.[10][9] Giovanni Colantonio of Polygon described it as "exceptional writing that really makes the mystery work",[5] while Kerry Brunskill of PC Gamer commended the diverse cast of the characters.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Down, Aaron (August 8, 2025). "With Blue Prince's looks and LA Noire's detective work, this new puzzle game tests your timekeeping". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on September 15, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  2. ^ Romano, Sal (September 18, 2025). "The Seance of Blake Manor launches October 27". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Taylor-Kent, Oscar (November 6, 2025). "This supernatural detective story is incredibly immersive, with magical solutions that force you to learn their rules rather than feeling cheap". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Romano, Sal (March 17, 2025). "Supernatural detective mystery game The Seance of Blake Manor announced for PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e Colantonio, Giovanni (October 30, 2025). "The Séance of Blake Manor is the surprise Halloween banger of the year". Polygon. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "The Seance of Blake Manor for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "The Séance of Blake Manor". OpenCritic. Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Brunskill, Kerry (November 4, 2025). "Enthralling, spooky whodunnit The Séance of Blake Manor kept me guessing to the very end". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Stuart, Keith (October 27, 2025). "The Séance of Blake Manor review – gripping gothic detective game steeped in mystery and menace". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c MacLeod, Riley (November 3, 2025). "The Seance Of Blake Manor Is My Blue Prince". Aftermath. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
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