Over the long holiday weekend, I yearned for a game that would feel both cozy and challenging. Ideally it would be something I could play on a handheld, like my Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch, while my partner watched football on the TV. I skimmed “best indie games of 2025 so far” lists, not seeing anything that was new to me — until I saw this piece from Angharad Redden on GamingBible. There, Redden recommended The Séance of Blake Manor, an indie mystery that released around Halloween that I hadn’t even heard of. She described it as great for “fans of Agatha Christie.” I literally did not read any further before I went to the Steam store and downloaded it.
For the next three days, I spent hours obsessively exploring Blake Manor, a spooky mansion in 1800s Ireland, as Mister Declan Ward, a detective searching for a woman who has gone missing during a landmark mysticism event. This game held me in a vice grip and, as if one of the title’s spells had been cast upon me, I feel compelled to share the joy this brought me.
I love mystery video games, and this certainly delivers on that front, but The Séance of Blake Manor is easy to recommend to gamers of many sensibilities. Do you, like Clint, love spooky stuff? You’ll love the gothic horror here and the commitment to atmosphere. Or are you a puzzle-head, similar to Gary and Matt? There is an almost overwhelming amount of information that can be connected. If you’re a fan of visual novels, like Allison, you’ll be impressed with the ways this game balances storytelling with action. And, for my other fellow detectives out there, like David, you will love how this game feels like a spiritual successor to Hotel Dusk: Room 215.
The Game Is Afoot
Detective Ward has received a mysterious letter asking him to investigate the strange disappearance of Evelyn Deane, a well-to-do guest who has arrived for a séance at the manor-turned-hotel. Ward is a non-believer in mysticism, but he’ll be challenged by ghosts, curses, and old gods before the weekend is up. He tries to stay focused on what he’s here to do: Solve a crime.
The Séance of Blake Manor’s mystery mechanics are extremely well-done. Evidence can be gathered, facts can be learned, and conversations can be remembered. Like many mystery games, there is a countdown clock, but it’s not a real-time one. While you’ll “spend” a minute to examine an object or ask someone a question, moving from room to room does not count against your clock. This makes the game extremely accessible, allowing people to play their way and take their time to consider where to go next.
At one point, I did yearn for a fast-travel option, as the game takes several seconds to load in between areas of the manor. But as I continued, I found myself glad the game didn’t. Some characters at Blake Manor feel they are trapped there, and when I sprinted through the familiar dark red walls of the East Wing, shivering as I passed a place where I knew two skeletons lay, I too felt haunted.
Entering the Maze
The majority of gameplay in The Séance of Blake Manor involves exploring the Manor, interviewing the event’s attendants and hotel’s staff, and reflecting on what’s known. There are over 20 suspects, which immediately surprised and delighted me — most mystery games are lucky to have a handful. Furthermore, there are a myriad of rooms to surreptitiously break into and areas to investigate. It’s also not obvious where evidence might be. For example, I found a piece of paper shoved behind a painting that I could only see by standing at a specific angle. I really felt like a detective.
Clues are pieced together in a mind map with logical hypotheses strung together, similar to The Case of the Golden Idol. I found the mystery suitably challenging — it asks more of its players than Ace Attorney but is not as difficult as Idol or Return of the Obra Dinn.
I was also pleased to find a variety of contextual puzzles (think Professor Layton’s mini-challenges) throughout the game. You’ll find numerous sigils that contain puzzles where you cannot “lift the pencil” or retrace the same line. There’s also a variety of code-breaking type activities and treasure hunts that require intentional walking. It’s worth noting that none of these challenges require difficult or fast gaming reflexes (no platforming, etc.), which, again, makes this an accessible “walking simulator” with tons of interesting features along the way.
It’s a beautiful game, too. Its 3D, cel-shaded environments (which reminded me of another 2025 indie hit, Blue Prince), combined with its quietly morose music and distinct sound effects, made me feel like I really was at Blake Manor. Notable conversations or cutscenes are revealed through occasional graphic novel-inspired sequences, with panels dramatically pacing out the scene. It’s a delight.
Characters have 3D models that stand out and can be tracked along a map or a timetable schedule — if you happen to have learned where they’ll be at a certain time. You can make notes to yourself of who you have a hunch is innocent.
The characters at Blake Manor are rich and varied, too, just like the setting. Each one has hopes, dreams, and fears, and more than one has a motive against Evelyn Deane. I found myself dealing with my own prejudices, sure that one man in particular was The Bad Guy until I uncovered enough information to realize that he couldn’t possibly be. As the game went on, I came to feel compassion for him, and I decided to help him with his own personal challenges. Every person at the Manor needs some help, and it’ll be up to you if you want to assist them or not. It could be a matter of life or death.
The Séance of Blake Manor builds tension throughout multiple segments of the day, and you have the freedom to choose how you spend it, sticking the landing with a crescendo of an ending.
Final Thoughts: A Love of the Game
The Séance of Blake Manor is the third game from developer Spooky Doorway, and it’s the small Irish studio’s most ambitious yet. In past years, they partnered with publisher Akupara Games to create the Darkside Detective games, a point-and-click duology with a 16-bit-inspired art style. Those bones are clear to see here, as this game shows a clear understanding of what makes a mystery tick. But The Séance of Blake Manor, published by Raw Fury, takes everything up a notch with gorgeous artwork, interactive landscapes, and excellent voice acting.
My playthrough lasted about 20 hours, but I took the time to have extra conversations, finish side quests, and explore every nook and cranny (it’s the first game all year that got me into achievement hunting!). I imagine it can be finished in closer to 12-14 hours. I ran into no bugs and only a few typos, which is impressive given the game must have a novel’s worth of writing. You can talk to every character about pretty much anything, something that I’ve really only ever seen otherwise in Disco Elysium because of how much additional labor it is to write out answers for questions that may never get asked.
The love that has been poured into Blake Manor — literally and in-game — is apparent. I feel lucky to have entered these hallowed grounds. I hope it will be made available on more platforms soon so that more people can experience it. Until then, I encourage you to attend The Séance of Blake Manor.
Score: 9.8/10
The Séance of Blake Manor, developed by Spooky Doorway and published by Raw Fury, was released on October 27, 2025, for PC. MSRP: $19.99. Game reviewed on PC via Steam Deck.
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, punch bad guys, make friends, and have a good cry. She started writing for the site in 2020, and became an editor in 2022. She enjoys writing about mystery games, indies, and strong femme protagonists.
Her work has also been published in Unwinnable Monthly (click here to read her cover feature on Nancy Drew games), Salt Hill Journal, Poets.org, Litro Magazine, Public Books, and more. She was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University's Culinarian Magazine, and served for two years as the Managing Editor of Aster(ix) Literary Journal.
She recently graduated with a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her writing, art, graphic design, and marketing work can be viewed at www.amandatien.com.
She does not post a lot on social, but you can find her on X and on Instagram.
