If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know I’m probably into some super weird things. The unknown fascinates me when it comes to subjects like the afterlife, cryptozoology, and ufology. One of my favourite podcasts did an entire episode based around spiritualism, which is basically a system of belief based on (supposed) communication with the spirits of the dead. Often, this requires mediums. Now, back in the early twentieth century, spiritualism was huge, despite the fact it was mostly comprised of scam artists using tools like blackboards to “communicate” with the dead. An English Haunting puts us right into this time period, and also smack-dab into the middle of a ghost story.
The game is set in 1907 London, where séances and theatrical shows where spirits make contact are super popular, while an entire legion of investigators are trying to discover the secrets of the supernatural. Professor Patrick Moore is at the forefront of the investigation, and he’s also at a crossroads: he has 72 hours to prove the existence of the Great Beyond, or his Metapsychic Investigations Department will be shut down for good.
With the help of (fake) medium Beatrice Shaw he must make a prototype of the Box of Revelations, an object devised by his missing mental that enables dimensions hidden in our reality. He’s travel from the foggy streets of London to the steep shores of Scotland, eventually ending up at the most haunted manor in England, 31 Benwell Street.
The game features a cast of over 70 characters, including real figures from the period like medium Florence Cook, physicist William Crookes, illusionist Harry Houdini, and writer Arthur Conan Doyle. There are over 60 detailed pixel art background to explore, while the gameplay is primarily point-and-click and based on inventory puzzles.
If it’s all getting to be too much, take a break by reading horror stories and Falk’s Horror Books, peruse an archive of supernatural cases, or head to the theatre to watch Georges Méliès’ last film (Évocation Spirite).
Developed and published by Postmodern Adventures, An English Haunting will be released for PC via Steam; it can be added to wishlists now.
