This Spooky Video Game Set in the West of Ireland is Getting Rave Reviews

Set in 1897 Ireland, the PC game is a supernatural mystery that invites players to explore Connemara’s dark beauty in an Irish detective story haunted by myth, class and colonial ghosts.

Created by Irish developer Spooky Doorway, the game has been dubbed "the surprise Halloween banger of the year" by respected games site Polygon, as well as receiving rave reviews and coverage from a slew of game and mainstream press, including The New York Times, The Guardian and Forbes. Many reviewers called out the ways that Irish history, folklore and mythology are weaved through the story.

We nabbed Galway-based Paul Conway, Spooky Doorway's CEO and lead artist, for a chat about the game, and its West of Ireland influences.

Hi Paul! First things first – what is the premise of the game?

The Séance of Blake Manor is a gothic supernatural whodunnit set in 1897 Ireland – a meeting of Agatha Christie and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The story deals with a group of upper class mystics who have come to the West of Ireland to perform a séance on Halloween, which was originally an old Irish festival called Samhain.

One of the participants goes missing and Declan Ward, a working class detective, is ushered in to look for her, while the other attendees slowly forget she was ever there. Ward finds himself at the centre of a bizarre mystery that explores Irish history, folklore and mythology, religion, class and the lingering scars of colonialism.

Time is ticking down, the Séance is in two days, and Ward must unravel the secrets of Blake Manor and its residence before it’s too late.

"The wilds of Connemara have a haunting and isolated beauty which has inspired me since I moved to Galway."

How did the West of Ireland serve as inspiration?

The wilds of Connemara have a haunting and isolated beauty which has inspired me since I moved to Galway. I have always wanted to set a game out there. It is a landscape that has not changed much over the centuries and I can easily imagine it holds secrets deep in its hills.

Beyond its windswept rocky fields and barren mountains is the Atlantic ocean; in the late 1800s I imagine this could have felt like the end of the world.

Luckily our writer and lead designer agreed this romantic isolation was the perfect place for a folk horror detective story.

What references to Connemera and the west can players look forward to?

The game takes place in the fictional Blake Manor, a great house of an old colonial land owning family which has been converted into a hotel in recent years. The setting is inspired by locations such as Westport House, Kylemore Abbey and Woodlawn House. 

"The game is rife with references to old Irish traditions and folklore, a lot of which is taken from the west of Ireland."

In the intro cinematic Detective Ward journeys out to the far west of Connemara, which is clearly shown on the map. The landscapes and visuals are inspired by actual areas of Connemara. In fact, throughout the game, the player will notice that the walls of the manor are adorned with many illustrations of the Connemara landscape.

Many of the characters have names taken from the Galway merchant families, including D’Arcy, Skerritt, Blake. The game is also rife with references to old Irish traditions and folklore, a lot of which is taken from the west of Ireland. And finally, many of the historical elements of the story are inspired by the cruelty and the aftermath of the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland, and its effect on Connaught.

"The whole team is on a high right now."

The game has received such great reviews and feedback already. How are you feeling about the early buzz?

Honestly, we’ve been quite surprised by the positive reception the game has received so far. Don’t get me wrong, we really believed in what we made, both as a video game and as a piece of art steeped in Irish culture. And we undoubtedly put our heart and souls into making it. Unfortunately when it comes to games you can never fully predict how well they will be received until they are released. With so many moving parts that can go wrong it could easily have had a negative response from reviewers and players.

When the press embargo lifted and the first review that appeared online was 5 stars from the Guardian, we were floored. Many other reviews have since come in which have been equally as positive, and a lot of big outlets have featured the game, including Forbes and The New York Times.

The whole team is on a high right now. It’s a rewarding moment after so many years of working on the project in isolation to see it being celebrated for its game design and story. But also equally so for the depth of Irish culture, folklore and history we were able to weave through it.

The Séance at Blake Manor is out now.