The Excavation of Hob's Barrow - **MOOR** good stuff from Cloak and Dagger Games

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a creepy point and click adventure game from Cloak and Dagger Games, the developers of Sumatra: The Fate of Yandi, Football Game and Legend of Hand. As well as the certified Classic of Game Mudlarks. I'm a big fan and have been throwing these guys $1 a month via patreon for a while now.

Originally the game was to be known as Incantementum. It was first revealed via a teaser three years ago, at the end of a remaster of Cloak and Dagger's earlier adaptation of The Terrible Old Man. The first demo appeared later in 2020. At some point Wadjet Eye got involved to handle publishing, changing the name, and also the addition of voice acting.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow concerns the 'barrow-digger' Thomasina Bateman, an upper-class archaeologist in the 19th century following in the footprints of her father. The game starts with her arriving in Bewlay, a village in the moors of Yorkshire, via the newly constructed railway. She has been invited to the town by a local resident, Leonard Shoulder, to investigate the famous "Hob's Barrow" in the nearby countryside.

Naturally things go awry as soon as she arrives and Mr Shoulder does not show up to their planned rendezvous at the local tavern "The Plough and Furrow". Soon Thomasina (based out of said tavern) is investigating the dual mysteries of the Barrow and the missing Mr Shoulder. From there thing's only get more complex as she interacts with more citizens of Bewlay and one particularly creepy cat.

Cloak and Dagger's trademark is the uneasy atmosphere of their games and their use of cinematic composition in important parts of the game. Their attitude to exposition, flashbacks, "lore-dumps" is quite unusual compared to their peers. They will dedicate a lengthy rotoscoped cutscene or flashback sequence to something others would ignore, while covering some important plot points extremely briefly. They show a superb judgement in this area and generally it is for the better of the game.

In their previous game Sumatra: The Fate of Yandi this was used to humanise and add depth to the protagonist Yandi (lost in the jungle), his relationship to his wife and the stress of his fate. In Hob's Barrow this is used to instill themes of suspicion and deceit. The game's 360x180 pixel art bely the true level of detail here.

The real star of the game is the town of Bewlay and the seemingly endless moors of the surrounding area. This has been stunningly realised by the excellent art direction and music by The Machine. The Demon. While the environment and setting is consistent, there is a stunning number of specific screens and locations. The Plough and Furrow is particularly noteworthy, serving as the village's thematic equivalent to Resident Evil Four's save rooms.

The many residents are exclusively excellent characters. Superbly brought to life by the many voice actors. This is not unusual for Wadjet Eye's productions. But the fact the cast seems almost entirely local, and all speak with the correct Yorkshire accent and slang, shows a versatility they hadn't previously demonstrated.

Mechanically, the game is a fairly straightforward point and click adventure game. Right click to look at something, left click to interact. The game is also complex enough to necessitate a "Map" (quick travel) and a quest log. There's a helpful key to highlight the things on the screen you can click on too.

The puzzles of the game probably aren't going to stump you for too long, but you will feel a sense of satisfaction solving them. Though the inventory and interweaving "quests" do become a bit overwhelming toward the middle of the game. There is also an interesting shift in the style of the game's puzzles at a few points that match the narrative surprisingly well.

The story is also compelling to the end. Some of the plot threads can get a bit overwhelming and some seem unresolved, but the sense of mystery and unease conveyed is more than enough to carry the game.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a superb game. It's amongst the best of Cloak and Dagger and also sits comfortably with the best of Wadjet Eye's catalogue.

Updated Wadjet Eye Games Ranking

1. Unavowed

2. The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

3. Technobabylon

4. Gemini Rue

5. Strangeland

6. Primordia

7. Da New Guys: Day of the Jackass

8. Puzzle Bots

9. The Blackwell Deception

10. The Blackwell Convergence

11. Resonance

12. The Blackwell Epiphany

13. Shardlight

14. Blackwell Unbound

15. A Golden Wake

16. The Blackwell Legacy

17. The Shivah