An indie detective game just sneaked onto Steam and immediately earned a perfect 5-star review from The Guardian. The Séance of Blake Manor launched October 27, 2025, from developer Spooky Doorway and publisher Raw Fury, offering a supernatural mystery that blends Irish mythology, Victorian spiritualism, and genuine tension into what might be one of 2025’s most pleasant surprises.
The game drops you into the well-polished shoes of Detective Declan Ward on October 29, 1897. You’ve been summoned to Blake Manor, a remote hotel in Ireland’s west coast where a woman named Evelyn Deane vanished 48 hours before a planned Grand Séance. A group of mystics from around the world has gathered to tear open the veil between worlds and speak directly with the dead on All Hallow’s Eve. Your job is finding Evelyn before the séance begins, because according to the game over screen, no one who attends will survive.
Time is Your Enemy
What separates The Séance of Blake Manor from other detective games is its time management system. You have three in-game days to solve the mystery, but time isn’t just background decoration. Every action you take advances the clock by one minute. Examining an object, asking a question during interrogations, or inspecting a room all tick time forward. This creates constant tension because certain events happen at specific times, and missing crucial moments can lead to game over states.
The timetable system shows where characters will be each hour once you learn their schedules. You can set reminders for important events and track suspects as they move through Blake Manor. But you can’t be everywhere at once, forcing difficult decisions about where to focus your investigation. Do you spend time interrogating a suspicious guest or break into their room while they’re at breakfast to search for evidence?
Deduction That Feels Rewarding
The deduction mechanics will feel familiar to anyone who played The Case of the Golden Idol or its sequel Rise of the Golden Idol. You gather clues by examining objects, interrogating suspects, and breaking into rooms when no one’s watching. All your findings get organized in Detective Ward’s journal, creating a massive web of interconnected information.
When you’ve collected enough evidence, the game prompts you to make deductions by filling in blanks within sentences using color-coded words and phrases. The system is straightforward but satisfying, requiring you to connect disparate clues into coherent theories about what happened. Unlike some detective games where solutions feel arbitrary, Blake Manor rewards careful observation and logical thinking.
Cast of Supernatural Suspects
Blake Manor hosts an eclectic group of guests, each with their own storylines and secrets. Tarot readers, druids, priests, and supernatural debunkers have all gathered for the séance, and any of them could be involved in Evelyn Deane’s disappearance. Detective Ward remains skeptical of ghosts and the supernatural, but the manor itself seems determined to challenge his rational worldview.
Each character features detailed backgrounds and motivations. The game creates opportunities to help other guests with their problems in hopes they’ll return the favor or at least stop obstructing your investigation. Building these relationships becomes crucial because you need allies to succeed. Some guests hold critical information they’ll only share if they trust you, while others actively work to sabotage your efforts.
Supernatural Horror Done Right
The Séance of Blake Manor doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares. Instead, it builds atmosphere through excellent sound design and occasional glimpses of otherworldly creatures that tie directly into Irish folklore and Victorian spiritualism. Players report lurching in their chairs during these moments, not from sudden shock but from the creeping dread that something unnatural is watching.
The game draws inspiration from Hammer Horror films, Mike Mignola’s distinctive art style, and genuine Irish mythology. This isn’t generic spooky mansion aesthetics. The developers clearly researched the spiritualist movements of the Victorian era and incorporated authentic details that make Blake Manor feel lived-in and historically grounded despite the supernatural elements.
Built for Multiple Playthroughs
The Séance of Blake Manor features a three-game time loop structure similar to Majora’s Mask or Dead Rising. You won’t discover everything in a single playthrough because the time constraint forces you to make choices. Events happen simultaneously in different parts of the manor, requiring you to prioritize which leads to follow. This design encourages replaying with knowledge from previous runs to optimize your investigation.
The game includes multiple endings and various ways to convince guests to skip the deadly séance. Players report that subsequent playthroughs feel fresh because you approach situations differently with prior knowledge. The time management mechanics that seemed restrictive on the first attempt become a puzzle to solve, finding the most efficient path through the investigation.
Critical and Player Praise
The Guardian awarded The Séance of Blake Manor a perfect 5-star score, calling it a gripping gothic detective game steeped in mystery and menace. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier praised the game on social media shortly after launch. Early Steam reviews sit at 100 percent positive, though with limited reviews so far since the game only just released.
Players on Reddit describe the writing as outstanding and the mystery as genuinely compelling. One reviewer noted that unless the quality significantly declines after the first few hours, it seems poised to deliver a solid experience overall. The comparison to The Case of the Golden Idol comes up repeatedly, with many suggesting Blake Manor offers a more atmospheric take on similar deduction mechanics.
Launch Details and Pricing
The Séance of Blake Manor released on Steam October 27, 2025, with a 10 percent launch discount bringing the price down from its standard cost. The game is currently PC exclusive with no announced plans for console versions, though that could change if sales justify ports. A demo featuring two complete sequences is available on Steam, giving players a solid preview of the mechanics and atmosphere before purchasing.
Developer Spooky Doorway previously worked under the project name Eldritch House before settling on the final title. Publisher Raw Fury has built a strong reputation for stylized mystery games, including this year’s Blue Prince, and Blake Manor continues that trend. The game is fully playable and complete at launch with no announced DLC plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did The Séance of Blake Manor release?
The Séance of Blake Manor launched on Steam on October 27, 2025. It is currently PC exclusive with no announced plans for console versions.
How much does The Séance of Blake Manor cost?
The game launched with a 10 percent discount on Steam. While the exact standard price wasn’t specified in available information, indie detective games of this scope typically range from 19.99 to 29.99 dollars.
Is there a demo available?
Yes, a free demo is available on Steam featuring two complete investigation sequences. Players who grasp the major hints in the first sequence will see how the game uses that information later, which typically convinces them to purchase the full game.
How is it similar to The Case of the Golden Idol?
Both games use fill-in-the-blank deduction mechanics where you connect clues to form conclusions. However, Blake Manor adds time management elements, first-person exploration, and a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and supernatural horror compared to Golden Idol’s 2D presentation.
How long does it take to beat?
Specific completion times haven’t been widely reported yet since the game just launched. However, the three-day time loop structure and encouragement of multiple playthroughs suggests a 10-15 hour experience for a single playthrough, with significantly more time needed to see everything.
Can you fail the game?
Yes, The Séance of Blake Manor includes game over states. You can fail by not completing certain objectives within time limits or by letting the séance proceed with guests still present. However, you can reload earlier saves to try different approaches.
Is it scary?
The game focuses on atmospheric horror and creeping dread rather than jump scares. Players report excellent sound design and occasional glimpses of supernatural creatures that create genuine tension. It’s spooky without being overwhelming for those who don’t typically play horror games.
Do I need to know Irish mythology?
No prior knowledge is required. The game incorporates Irish folklore and Victorian spiritualism into its story, but everything you need to understand is explained through the investigation and character interactions.
Why You Should Pay Attention
The Séance of Blake Manor represents the kind of surprise hit that makes following indie games worthwhile. It launched without massive marketing campaigns or AAA hype, yet immediately earned critical praise from respected outlets. The combination of innovative time management, satisfying deduction mechanics, and genuinely atmospheric horror creates something that feels fresh despite borrowing elements from other detective games.
The Victorian Irish setting stands out in a genre dominated by modern crime dramas or generic gothic mansions. The developers clearly love their source material, incorporating authentic historical details and mythology rather than relying on surface-level aesthetics. The writing has earned particular praise for making the cast feel like real people with complex motivations rather than puzzle pieces to manipulate.
For anyone who enjoyed The Case of the Golden Idol but wished for more atmosphere and first-person exploration, Blake Manor delivers. For horror fans looking for intelligent supernatural mystery over cheap scares, this scratches that itch. For detective game enthusiasts seeking something that respects their intelligence while still creating genuine tension through time constraints, The Séance of Blake Manor might be exactly what you didn’t know you needed.
The 10 percent launch discount won’t last forever, and the demo provides a solid preview if you’re uncertain. Based on early critical reception and player reactions, this looks like one of those small games that ends up on year-end best-of lists alongside much bigger releases. Sometimes the best gaming experiences arrive quietly, and The Séance of Blake Manor might just haunt 2025’s indie scene in all the right ways.