The Excavation of Hob's Barrow
- September 28, 2022
- Cloak and Dagger Games
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamAntiquarian Thomasina Bateman is writing a book on the barrows of England, documenting the treasures she finds buried within. When an intriguing letter summons her to the small village of Bewlay, tucked away in the remote countryside, she sets off by train with her assistant a day behind. Upon her arrival, however, the mysterious man who summoned her is nowhere to be found. Her assistant never ar…
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Reviews
- A masterpiece of the genre, one of the best Gothic/Lovecraftian adventures of all times.
- Highly atmospheric with excellent voice acting and a captivating story.
- Beautiful pixel art and a unique setting that enhances the overall experience.
- The final chapter and its puzzles feel nonsensical and lack logical reasoning.
- The game is linear with only one ending, which may leave players feeling unsatisfied.
- Some fetch quests can feel tedious and disrupt the pacing of the story.
- story931 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of "The Excavation of Hob's Barrow" is widely praised for its engaging and atmospheric narrative, drawing on elements of folk horror and Lovecraftian themes. Players appreciate the well-developed characters, excellent voice acting, and the slow build-up of tension that culminates in a gripping climax, although some express disappointment with the ending and the reliance on fetch quests that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy story-driven adventures with a dark, immersive atmosphere.
“The story is captivating, the voice acting really puts you in the time and place, and the adventure was tricky but not ridiculous.”
“The excavation of Hob's Barrow is a masterclass in storytelling, combining a gripping narrative with excellent voice acting and atmospheric visuals.”
“The story builds up really well and, without spoilers, has quite the eye-opening finish.”
“The ending makes the whole story feel like a waste of time.”
“Some important events have no meaning to the story, and there are parts of the story that have no explanation for why they happened.”
“The story is dark and moody, but I was in no way surprised by the end or what was lurking in Hob's Barrow.”
- atmosphere330 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "The Excavation of Hob's Barrow" is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, effectively capturing the essence of folk horror and Lovecraftian themes. Reviewers highlight the game's stunning pixel art, exceptional voice acting, and haunting soundtrack, all of which contribute to a thick, unsettling ambiance that enhances the storytelling. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke a sense of dread and mystery, making it a standout experience in the point-and-click adventure genre.
“The excavation of Hob's Barrow is a solid point-and-click adventure that works hard on generating an uncanny and intriguing atmosphere, and does pretty well with its rural English folk-tale setting.”
“The atmosphere is so thick that I would like to spread my toast with it and then cram it all in my mouth!”
“The atmosphere of the game is phenomenal, voice acting is really good, and pixel art is stunning.”
“The whole atmosphere of the game felt very heavy and oppressive - and you genuinely feel like you can't trust anyone.”
“The continuously creepy atmosphere and feeling of impending doom throughout the game was very well written.”
“There is nothing particularly scary in the game but the atmosphere is somewhat dreadful and mysterious, enhanced by occasional creepy cutscenes.”
- graphics193 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively creates an atmospheric and eerie setting that complements the narrative. Many reviewers praised the art direction, noting its nostalgic appeal reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures, while also highlighting the quality of the voice acting and sound design that enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding occasional blurriness and crude visuals, the unique aesthetic and attention to detail have left a lasting impression on players.
“The brilliantly beautiful - and sometimes unexpectedly creepy - pixelized art style did the rest.”
“Wonderful pixel graphics, a great creepy atmosphere, clever, but not obtuse puzzles and a cracking story.”
“The art style is simply superb and it makes the cutscenes just so wonderfully unsettling.”
“The graphics are straight from the early nineties and they work well.”
“I was not impressed by the pixel art/graphics.”
“The very low resolution graphics are a bit of a disappointment to someone who appreciates high visual quality, but the voice acting and the gameplay were excellent.”
- music166 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create an atmospheric and immersive experience, enhancing the eerie and mysterious tone of the story. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, noting its fittingness to the game's setting and its contribution to the overall mood, with many describing it as beautiful, haunting, and evocative. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and sound design is seen as integral to the game's success, effectively complementing the narrative and visuals.
“Excellent atmospheric horror, with a compelling story, beautiful music and art, and incredible voice acting.”
“The soundtrack also creates the perfect atmosphere for the story.”
“The music emphasizes the atmosphere with some nice ambient pieces.”
“The audio section, both the music and the sound, barely meet expectations.”
“The synthesizer music didn't really fit well, though it's not bad on its own.”
“Music and other sounds accompanied things well enough, but didn't make a huge lasting impression on me overall.”
- gameplay80 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a traditional point-and-click adventure, featuring intuitive mechanics and a mix of puzzles and fetch quests that are generally easy to navigate. While some players appreciate the straightforwardness and narrative focus, others criticize the lack of challenging puzzles and the pacing issues in expansive areas. Overall, the gameplay is serviceable and complements the compelling story, though it may not offer groundbreaking mechanics or depth.
“While the gameplay itself doesn't reinvent the wheel, it is serviceable and sufficient enough to carry forward the compelling narrative adventure that is the core of what this game is about.”
“The gameplay is varied and never wanders into being too difficult that it halts the story for too long.”
“Gameplay flowed nicely, no frustrating puzzles, just short puzzley bits to break up the investigation nicely.”
“However, I believe these above points are all dragged down by the gameplay.”
“Yet, it fails as a game: point and click mechanics are weak, puzzles do not exist, the pacing is horrendous.”
“Too many fetch quests that have nothing to do with the story make the gameplay boring.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players feeling a deep connection to its gothic horror themes and heartfelt moments, while others criticize the lack of character development and emotional engagement with the village's residents. Although there are standout emotional scenes and a gripping story, many reviewers noted that the protagonist's relationships felt underdeveloped, leading to a disconnect that diminished the overall emotional impact. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from curiosity to sadness, but leaves some players wanting more depth in emotional connections.
“The story is all about building tension and suspense around the mythical hob's barrow, and the final reveal is done in a really heartbreaking way.”
“Above all, the excavation of hob’s barrow is beautiful because opposed to so many point & clicks, this game manages to be warm and heartfelt, so all the terror hits you twice as hard.”
“Horror is not my genre and I was hesitant to dip into a game described as dark, gloomy, and gritty, but I'm really glad to have taken that dive - I was not expecting to get so emotionally invested.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Hob's Barrow" is characterized by a blend of sarcasm, wit, and immersive dialogue, creating a unique balance between lightheartedness and the weight of its serious themes. Players appreciate the laugh-out-loud moments, authentic characters, and excellent voice acting, which enhance the overall experience. The game successfully combines humor with a compelling narrative, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
“Sarcastic, funny, and witty lines are all over, capturing the weight of each life, their memories, and the stories they share.”
“The dialogue is excellent - laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly descriptive and immersive.”
“Omg, the voice acting is incredible and I cannot stop laughing!”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to the lack of alternate endings and meaningful choices, with many players expressing a desire for more varied outcomes. While some elements, like humor and commentary, provide slight incentives to revisit, the consensus is that the game does not offer significant replay value.
“A great game and replayable thanks to an equally great commentary.”
“The dark undercurrent of humor throughout the game also adds some replayability for achievement hunters: some encounters are worth revisiting!”
“In my opinion, it increases the replay value of Hob's Barrow.”
“Unfortunately, this does drastically reduce replayability, and I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry to revisit the moors around Bewley again despite the nicely evocative setting and mood the game generates.”
“Normal price is a tad steep for game time (apparently no alternate endings, so no replay value), but sympathetic production anyway.”
“Even when presented with options, they don't actually matter; there are no alternate endings like in other Wadjet Eye games, and the alternate dialogue is so limited there's pretty much zero replayability here.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing it as tedious and plodding, particularly during fetch quests that detract from the overall experience. While the game features appealing elements like classic pixel art and strong voice acting, many players found the repetitive tasks frustrating enough to impact their enjoyment and willingness to continue playing.
“All of this was extremely tedious and almost made me quit if the sunk cost fallacy hadn't kicked in.”
“I wanted to like this --- classic pixel art, good voice acting, strong characters --- but even with a short duration, it's very plodding and tedious at times.”
“I cannot recommend this game as you will need to pass through 5 hours of fetch quests just to milk a goat; the story is great so far and the voice work is a great attempt, but it's just too tedious.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is praised for its flawless performance and control, enhancing the overall experience. The vocal performances, particularly by Samantha Beart, are highlighted as exceptional, contributing significantly to the game's immersive folk horror atmosphere. The combination of good writing and quality voice acting effectively brings the varied cast of characters to life, further enriching the gameplay.
“Performance and control was flawless, regardless.”
“Samantha Béart's performance as the main character is the best I have ever heard in an adventure game.”
“+ Likewise, a varied cast of suspicious locals are brought wonderfully to life through a combination of good writing and quality vocal performances (with the regional accents only wavering very occasionally) and they add to the horror atmosphere/gameplay by being believably reluctant to help you on your mission.”
- character development5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably inconsistent, with some players praising the depth achieved within the limited length, while others criticize the overall lack of character arcs and meaningful growth. Despite strong character design, particularly for characters like Thomasina, many reviewers feel that the narrative fails to provide sufficient exploration and development of its characters, leaving a sense of neglect in this aspect.
“I really like the character design, particularly Thomasina; she looked awesome.”
“Good character development, especially for the length.”
“The weakest elements are definitely the lack of areas to explore compared to other adventure games, the lack of epic, overarching puzzles, and there could definitely be more content and character development in the story.”
“No character development.”
“Being frank, the ending makes the whole thing feel like the devs went into this with the intention of making a horror game; they made some great set-pieces and included a lot of common horror game tropes like 'gaslighting the protagonist' and 'person mysteriously disappears' and 'something happens in the night but the protagonist can't tell if it's a dream or not', but skimped on character development and completely neglected any kind of throughline or arc.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players report excellent stability, experiencing seamless gameplay on both older hardware like an ancient iMac and newer devices such as the Steam Deck, with no glitches noted. The pixel graphics also contribute positively to the overall atmospheric experience.
