Software:The Séance of Blake Manor
| The Séance of Blake Manor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Spooky Doorway |
| Publisher(s) | Raw Fury |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Treasa McCabe |
| Programmer(s) | Treasa McCabe |
| Artist(s) | Paul Conway |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | Clement Panchout |
| Platform(s) | Linux, Windows |
| Release | October 27, 2025 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Séance of Blake Manor is a first-person puzzle game developed by the 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]
Development
The game was developed by Irish independent studio Spooky Doorway and published by Raw Fury.
During development it was referred to as Eldritch House on their official discord server where they shared art progress for the game. When the game was fully announced, they then changed the name of this channel to the current title. They also released a trailer under this name which has since been unlisted. [6]
Reception
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The Séance of Blake Manor received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.[7] Aggregator OpenCritic determined that 95% of critics recommended the game.[8]
Critics drew favorable comparisons to Blue Prince[5][11][10] and praised several aspects of the gameplay, particularly the time-management mechanic.[5][11] Writing for GamesRadar+, Oscar Taylor-Kent stated that "it really makes the investigation feel tangible".[3]
The game's writing also received widespread acclaim.[11][10] 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.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Down, Aaron (2025-08-08). "With Blue Prince's looks and LA Noire's detective work, this new puzzle game tests your timekeeping" (in en-US). https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-seance-of-blake-manor/preview.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (2025-09-18). "The Seance of Blake Manor launches October 27" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2025/09/the-seance-of-blake-manor-launches-october-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Taylor-Kent, Oscar (2025-11-06). "This supernatural detective story is incredibly immersive, with magical solutions that force you to learn their rules rather than feeling cheap" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/games/adventure/the-seance-of-blake-manor-review/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Romano, Sal (2025-03-17). "Supernatural detective mystery game The Seance of Blake Manor announced for PC" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2025/03/supernatural-detective-mystery-game-the-seance-of-blake-manor-announced-for-pc.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Colantonio, Giovanni (2025-10-30). "The Séance of Blake Manor is the surprise Halloween banger of the year" (in en). https://www.polygon.com/the-seance-of-blake-manor-impressions/.
- ↑ Spooky Doorway (September 19, 2021). Eldritch House Trailer. Retrieved May 23, 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The Seance of Blake Manor for PC Reviews". Fandom, Inc.. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-seance-of-blake-manor/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Séance of Blake Manor". Valnet. https://opencritic.com/game/19582/the-s-ance-of-blake-manor.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Brunskill, Kerry (2025-11-04). "Enthralling, spooky whodunnit The Séance of Blake Manor kept me guessing to the very end" (in en). https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/the-seance-of-blake-manor-review/.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Stuart, Keith (2025-10-27). "The Séance of Blake Manor review – gripping gothic detective game steeped in mystery and menace" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/oct/27/the-seance-of-blake-manor-review-gripping-gothic-detective-game-steeped-in-mystery-and-menace.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 MacLeod, Riley (2025-11-03). "The Seance Of Blake Manor Is My Blue Prince" (in en). https://aftermath.site/seance-of-blake-manor/.
External links
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