Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. While here they're publishing rather than the developer, with The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Wadjet Eye proves once again that they're the go-to for modern point-and-click adventures. Crucial for the genre, the game's story has a well-written, slow-burning horror-based plot with well-realised characters and excellent voice-acting. It should also be said that the game's eventual conclusion becomes very telegraphed in the later stages, which does feel a bit forced as you play out events that are obviously going to turn out badly, with none of the narrative choice that's now a feature of many games in the genre. Of course, the use of puzzles to gate progress mean that it can feel a little too slow at times - those puzzle are typically well-judged and logical, but there are still a handful where I'm glad to have referred to external hints.
BANGER fucking game. godDAMN that ending. The characters were so lovely, the voice-acting and dialogue was SO good, the story was stellar, I enjoyed that SO much, FANTASTIC creeping dread and eldritch horror undertones.
This review contains spoilers
An enjoyable enough time but that third act really drags down the pacing.
Cosy adventure with charming voice acting. Lots of familiar elements if you have any kind of interest in folk horror. Puzzle-wise I never had to think long about what to do next. Narratively they made the strange decision to introduce a massive element of dramatic irony in the third act which, while the choices the MC makes do fit with her character development, makes that last part quite frustrating for the player.
One of the best point-and-clicks out there. Really scratched that itch from my preteen years, where I played the shit out of games like Monster Basement 2 or Exmortis. This one's vibe is very much its own, but the feeling of gruesome unravelling is very much present, and done in such a beautifully attentive way... When you glimpse the horror, it's already much too late. Great ending as well, I just can't praise it enough.
I didn't realize Wadjet Eye was producing this until it released yesterday. Despite knowing nothing about Cloak and Dagger Games, I picked it up immediately and put the other games I was playing on hold. That was, of course, the correct choice.
I wanted to write a well-crafted essay about why I like Hob's Barrow, but I'm just not in the right mindspace for it right now. I'm just going to dive in.
Frankly, the game has a fairly weak central narrative. It has the "Lovecraftian" tag on Steam, so I expected as much. I also expected that the game would have wonderful voice acting given Wadjet Eye produced the game, and I was correct there as well. The quality of the world building, characterization, pixel art, story composition and direction, and general ability to create mood all took me by surprise, though, by being a notch above the high quality I was expecting. I really enjoyed getting to know the citizens of Bewley and slowly coming to understand some of the odd behaviors they exhibited at times. I was also particularly impressed by the narrative direction -- the inserts of narration from the main character's future perspective, animated pixel-art scenes, and flashbacks to punctuate the events unfolding via normal gameplay were absolutely on point.
It's great. You should play it.
I wanted to write a well-crafted essay about why I like Hob's Barrow, but I'm just not in the right mindspace for it right now. I'm just going to dive in.
Frankly, the game has a fairly weak central narrative. It has the "Lovecraftian" tag on Steam, so I expected as much. I also expected that the game would have wonderful voice acting given Wadjet Eye produced the game, and I was correct there as well. The quality of the world building, characterization, pixel art, story composition and direction, and general ability to create mood all took me by surprise, though, by being a notch above the high quality I was expecting. I really enjoyed getting to know the citizens of Bewley and slowly coming to understand some of the odd behaviors they exhibited at times. I was also particularly impressed by the narrative direction -- the inserts of narration from the main character's future perspective, animated pixel-art scenes, and flashbacks to punctuate the events unfolding via normal gameplay were absolutely on point.
It's great. You should play it.
How a game like this can keep me TUNED IN for it's entirety, making me shiver and question and be surprised, in ONE sitting? Again, Wadjet Eye bringing us fans of the genre the best of the best.
adult videogame
This review contains spoilers
Extremely good, though I didn’t love the final act. Rural Britain was much more interesting that the ancient ruins.
The atmosphere of the game is (very fairly) praised for being rich and unsettling, but it's really the audio that really sold me on Hob's Barrow. The voice acting is really strong throughout, and the soundtrack feels dense and at times ominous and truly fits the tone the game is going for.
The third act of the game doesn't quite match the first two, but that's likely a result of the well-written script and dialogue taking a backseat to puzzles which are fine - it feels like a different experience than the rest of the game which isn't necessarily bad, just a big jarring. Still, that change can't detract from the overall package and marks another great entry into Wadjet Eye's publishing library.
The third act of the game doesn't quite match the first two, but that's likely a result of the well-written script and dialogue taking a backseat to puzzles which are fine - it feels like a different experience than the rest of the game which isn't necessarily bad, just a big jarring. Still, that change can't detract from the overall package and marks another great entry into Wadjet Eye's publishing library.
I love the journey. Love how they pushed AGS to its limits. Absolutely loathe the destination and its philosophy. If you've beaten the game, though, there's a pretty good essay called "The Gnostic Horror of 'The Excavation of Hob's Barrow'" I recommend. It's spoilerrryyyy, but worth playing when you're done.
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow follows the footsteps of Thomasina Bateman, an archeologist from London who specializes in barrows, which, she'll explain, are a type of tumuli. After receiving a letter from a Mr. Leonard Shoulder telling of a most unusual barrow in the outskirts of the city of Bewlay, she takes the train there to investigate and, hopefully, excavate the place and uncover its secrets. The inhabitants are quick to tell her to turn back, warning that nothing good will come out of this excavation, warnings that Thomasina, ever the rationalist, ignores and presses on.
Before jumping into the game, I read a single review on it: that by Christian Donlan on Eurogamer. Aside from a strong sentiment that the game is best enjoyed as blind as possible, they mentioned how it would linger on their minds for hours after the credits roll. Having now played it myself, I agree on both counts: first, Hob's Barrow is something of a narrative puzzle, best experienced without being aware of how it's constructed, so if you're a fan of psychological horror and/or point-n'-clicks, consider just jumping in blind.
In fact, if you are a fan of horror games, the second point should come at no surprise: this is a story that's built to eat away at its spectator with the many gaps in its events and the insecurities it instills. In that sense, the game has definitely escaped its intended bubble, as many of the complaints leveraged at it from players boil down to "game vague and ending bad", which are baffling takes. This is a work that presents very specific themes, under a particular type of framing, and that is also going for a very well-known style of horror, and a lot of the players coming out dissatisfied are doing so due to refusing to engage with any of those things in more than a surface level.
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow deserves to be given more credit than that: it's a beautifully created game. Every scene is meticulously crafted, every narrative decision is deliberate and purposeful. The town of Bewlay is surrounded by an unnerving atmosphere reinforced by both its eerie sound design and its visuals, the latter shifting between a bread-and-butter pixel art style and twisting, uncanny rotoscoped animations. It also enjoys fantastic voice acting, of a quality and extent that is hard to find, if not unheard of, in an indie game in this price range.
One could say it's much easier to find fault in the mechanical aspects of The Excavation of Hob's Barrow than in its artistic choices, but even then, it's no trivial task. The typical point-'n-click puzzles fit neatly into the setting and escalate alongside the narrative, never getting in the way, and being almost entirely free of the famed Moon Logic that often plagues its genre. The UI is also modern, with interactions and items working in a streamlined fashion, a to-do list helpfully explaining the next goal -- great for hopping in and out -- and a map function that makes exploring Bewlay much faster.
Thomasina's adventure is just, overall, a fantastic experience, a hidden gem I hope to see get more recognition.
Before jumping into the game, I read a single review on it: that by Christian Donlan on Eurogamer. Aside from a strong sentiment that the game is best enjoyed as blind as possible, they mentioned how it would linger on their minds for hours after the credits roll. Having now played it myself, I agree on both counts: first, Hob's Barrow is something of a narrative puzzle, best experienced without being aware of how it's constructed, so if you're a fan of psychological horror and/or point-n'-clicks, consider just jumping in blind.
In fact, if you are a fan of horror games, the second point should come at no surprise: this is a story that's built to eat away at its spectator with the many gaps in its events and the insecurities it instills. In that sense, the game has definitely escaped its intended bubble, as many of the complaints leveraged at it from players boil down to "game vague and ending bad", which are baffling takes. This is a work that presents very specific themes, under a particular type of framing, and that is also going for a very well-known style of horror, and a lot of the players coming out dissatisfied are doing so due to refusing to engage with any of those things in more than a surface level.
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow deserves to be given more credit than that: it's a beautifully created game. Every scene is meticulously crafted, every narrative decision is deliberate and purposeful. The town of Bewlay is surrounded by an unnerving atmosphere reinforced by both its eerie sound design and its visuals, the latter shifting between a bread-and-butter pixel art style and twisting, uncanny rotoscoped animations. It also enjoys fantastic voice acting, of a quality and extent that is hard to find, if not unheard of, in an indie game in this price range.
One could say it's much easier to find fault in the mechanical aspects of The Excavation of Hob's Barrow than in its artistic choices, but even then, it's no trivial task. The typical point-'n-click puzzles fit neatly into the setting and escalate alongside the narrative, never getting in the way, and being almost entirely free of the famed Moon Logic that often plagues its genre. The UI is also modern, with interactions and items working in a streamlined fashion, a to-do list helpfully explaining the next goal -- great for hopping in and out -- and a map function that makes exploring Bewlay much faster.
Thomasina's adventure is just, overall, a fantastic experience, a hidden gem I hope to see get more recognition.
i want to live in one of those 'american werewolf' towns where people have nothing better to do than go to the pub and pretend there isn't an ancient manticore three doors down from where you live
This review contains spoilers
90% of the game is fantastic in all aspects
writing, themes, puzzles, and everything leading up to entering the barrow itself is amazing
I did get stuck on two puzzles before entering the barrow but I didn't spend much time racking my brain trying to figure out the solution
I think the subtle hints you get throughout the story and if you do replay it you'll notice more help establish a story centered in folklore akin to midsommer
The ending though was very lackluster as the character of Thomasina Bateman is completely thrown out the window as all of her logic and stoicism that is mentioned throughout the game is nonexistent in the final area
Confronted with snakes shooting energy beams, A demonic goat with spectral vision power, and hymnal tones coming from behind a door there is no real reaction from Thomasina other than we must continue forward
Even before that wen Mr.Tillet tries to explain what happened on the night of his disappearance, or right before entering when Cyril and Father Roache tell her not to excavate
Not once is there any second guessing on Thomasina's part not even an ounce of doing further research on what they're trying to tell her
I will give credit where credit is due where we normally see the good guy prevail this is not the case and while I will say the followers of Abraxas are not inherently evil, they do trick Thomasina into unleashing their god which eventually possesses Thomasina and lead us to our ending
This is worth the asking price and would love to see what else they could do (I'd personally love a mini-series set in Bewely) full price or on sale you're getting what you paid for
writing, themes, puzzles, and everything leading up to entering the barrow itself is amazing
I did get stuck on two puzzles before entering the barrow but I didn't spend much time racking my brain trying to figure out the solution
I think the subtle hints you get throughout the story and if you do replay it you'll notice more help establish a story centered in folklore akin to midsommer
The ending though was very lackluster as the character of Thomasina Bateman is completely thrown out the window as all of her logic and stoicism that is mentioned throughout the game is nonexistent in the final area
Confronted with snakes shooting energy beams, A demonic goat with spectral vision power, and hymnal tones coming from behind a door there is no real reaction from Thomasina other than we must continue forward
Even before that wen Mr.Tillet tries to explain what happened on the night of his disappearance, or right before entering when Cyril and Father Roache tell her not to excavate
Not once is there any second guessing on Thomasina's part not even an ounce of doing further research on what they're trying to tell her
I will give credit where credit is due where we normally see the good guy prevail this is not the case and while I will say the followers of Abraxas are not inherently evil, they do trick Thomasina into unleashing their god which eventually possesses Thomasina and lead us to our ending
This is worth the asking price and would love to see what else they could do (I'd personally love a mini-series set in Bewely) full price or on sale you're getting what you paid for
great game
wonderful voice acting, perfectly off-putting close-up art, dreadful music, perfect length
i guess i'm also kind of a sucker for victorian horror, too
great game!!!
wonderful voice acting, perfectly off-putting close-up art, dreadful music, perfect length
i guess i'm also kind of a sucker for victorian horror, too
great game!!!
Needs a bit more of the juice but otherwise totally enjoyable.
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for April 2024, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before May 7th, 2024, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
A mystery in a cozy British town.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow has players arriving at a little town in England with a ton of marshes and barrows. The player is trying to find the person who summoned them there and instead meets a lot of colorful characters at the local pub. If you’ve played any of the Blackwell games, this is by the same company, Wadjet Eye Games. The voice acting is extremely well done and elevates the game quite a bit.
However the game does try to push the envelope with its graphics at times and honestly, I think it fails to nail what it is attempting. It feels almost like it’s not going far enough but also goes too far. The story is a bit slow so far, and while the characters are good, and there’s been a couple of simple puzzles, one of them is an item you might miss if you didn’t think to pick it up, and the other was more of a “what can I do” rather than solving an obvious puzzle.
Pick this up if you like the Blackwell games. I assume it’s going to be paranormal and spooky at some point, but also the writing so far has been really good though I’ve yet to get started on the main mystery.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
A mystery in a cozy British town.
The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow has players arriving at a little town in England with a ton of marshes and barrows. The player is trying to find the person who summoned them there and instead meets a lot of colorful characters at the local pub. If you’ve played any of the Blackwell games, this is by the same company, Wadjet Eye Games. The voice acting is extremely well done and elevates the game quite a bit.
However the game does try to push the envelope with its graphics at times and honestly, I think it fails to nail what it is attempting. It feels almost like it’s not going far enough but also goes too far. The story is a bit slow so far, and while the characters are good, and there’s been a couple of simple puzzles, one of them is an item you might miss if you didn’t think to pick it up, and the other was more of a “what can I do” rather than solving an obvious puzzle.
Pick this up if you like the Blackwell games. I assume it’s going to be paranormal and spooky at some point, but also the writing so far has been really good though I’ve yet to get started on the main mystery.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/8q4m_yRP5xw
There's something about using horror in adventure games that just works. The notion of a character trying to hold themselves together while they solve some grotesque puzzles results in you soaking up the atmosphere as a matter of course.
I've somehow got myself into working backwards through the Wadjet Eye catalogue, But I can't really complain.
I've somehow got myself into working backwards through the Wadjet Eye catalogue, But I can't really complain.
This review contains spoilers
Writing of the game was pretty good, but I have a narrative complaint. About 2/3 through the game, your protagonist learns about the plot conspired against her. Despite discovering what fate awaits her at the Barrow, the protagonist proceeds forward and spills her blood to fulfill Saxton's request. This doesn't make any sense. We do not see any inner dialogue from the protag to hear her reaction nor do we see any sort of explanation for her decision. She hears from Arthur what will happen to her, and instead of fucking off out of there, it's like she didn't learn anything at all. I think the ending of the game really hingers on the player not thinking too hard about this detail.
I'd also say there are some cosmetic issues with the game. Lots of the textures of characters, items, scenery etc blend in with each other too well, making the visuals super flat. Pixel art requires a delicate balance between hi and lo resolution which is understandably difficult. Sadly I feel like the artist doesn't have a firm understanding of pixel art arrangement (or possibly just hasn't found their particular identity in the medium yet). I can tell the artist is traditionally trained, but that does not always translate directly to the notions pixel art requires to not only be legible, but stylized. Dialogue selection / UI text is under-designed and seems to have been neglected by the design team. This is one detail that could have easily been given more personality and overall "juicing" up the game in a meaningful, more immersive way.
I think this game has great bones and clearly a dedicated writer. The cutscenes stretched towards something cinematic but could not quite reach it, perhaps they needed more time to linger in their unsettling effects. If this game had more time in the kitchen, it could be something really unique. I can tell the devs care about this game, I hope they continue on to improve from here.
I'd also say there are some cosmetic issues with the game. Lots of the textures of characters, items, scenery etc blend in with each other too well, making the visuals super flat. Pixel art requires a delicate balance between hi and lo resolution which is understandably difficult. Sadly I feel like the artist doesn't have a firm understanding of pixel art arrangement (or possibly just hasn't found their particular identity in the medium yet). I can tell the artist is traditionally trained, but that does not always translate directly to the notions pixel art requires to not only be legible, but stylized. Dialogue selection / UI text is under-designed and seems to have been neglected by the design team. This is one detail that could have easily been given more personality and overall "juicing" up the game in a meaningful, more immersive way.
I think this game has great bones and clearly a dedicated writer. The cutscenes stretched towards something cinematic but could not quite reach it, perhaps they needed more time to linger in their unsettling effects. If this game had more time in the kitchen, it could be something really unique. I can tell the devs care about this game, I hope they continue on to improve from here.
This review contains spoilers
quickly became one of my fav bad endings ever lol....she kinda had it coming tho ignoring literally almost everybody telling her not to dig that place. still, thats what her whole life had been building up to so cant really blame her either. hoping for a sequel where her brother adam covers up/destroys the barrow for good and takes revenge for her sister.
Mucho mas oscuro de lo que esperaba. Buen adventure game aunque bastante facil.
This review contains spoilers
Strong (though somewhat easy) point and click adventure game. Strong weird tales vibes - somewhat marred by a lacklustre ending
if you're looking for a folk horror adventure to play through this season, you probably couldn't do much better. just really well constructed in all the genre nuts & bolts as you'd expect from wadjet eye: fun puzzles (not too easy, not too obscure), solid voice acting, solid art style (with some very memorable animated perspective shots!), near perfect pacing. setting is just extensive and moody enough to capture that spooky, dreary deep-rural town atmosphere (always overcast, frequently rainy). don't think i'd rank it above unavowed or the blackwell epiphany but its not far behind.
This review contains spoilers
I heard somewhere someone describing this game's ending as depressing. I would say it's less depressing and more completely goddamn insane. Very similar to Hereditary.
I don't like to say anything bad about indie games, but this was kinda bad.
It's a point-and-click game with very Lovecraftian influence. So Lovecraftian, that effectively nothing happens in the story until the very end, which is predictable and disappointing, albeit the best scene in the game.
It reminds me of Darkseed somewhat - a fairly middling-looking game intersperced with close-up animations, which, unfotunately, were mostly spoiled in the trailer. And of course H. R. Giger didn't design anything here, unlike with Darkseed.
About a third of the game is a fetchquest that could be cut with no issue and is clearly there to pad out the game.
Despite the fact that your protagonist appears smart no amount of choices will save them from fumbling down the dumbest path by the end.
The puzzles are either dumb or require outside knowledge, which is baffling. None of it is incredibly niche, but the game expects you to know some greek alphabet and a few latin words.
Truly a Lovecraftian game in that it's boring as hell. At least the black man wasn't demonic.
It's a point-and-click game with very Lovecraftian influence. So Lovecraftian, that effectively nothing happens in the story until the very end, which is predictable and disappointing, albeit the best scene in the game.
It reminds me of Darkseed somewhat - a fairly middling-looking game intersperced with close-up animations, which, unfotunately, were mostly spoiled in the trailer. And of course H. R. Giger didn't design anything here, unlike with Darkseed.
About a third of the game is a fetchquest that could be cut with no issue and is clearly there to pad out the game.
Despite the fact that your protagonist appears smart no amount of choices will save them from fumbling down the dumbest path by the end.
The puzzles are either dumb or require outside knowledge, which is baffling. None of it is incredibly niche, but the game expects you to know some greek alphabet and a few latin words.
Truly a Lovecraftian game in that it's boring as hell. At least the black man wasn't demonic.
6/10