The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow – Test: The Evil Sister of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow is an eerie, compact and elegant point-and-click that I will remember for a long time.

I’ll keep this short, because about games that are primarily about their story, every word is too much of a risk. So only the essentials. First things first, if you’re still on that adventure trip after Return to Monkey Island, you should definitely give The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow a try (if you don’t mind that the game is only available in English so far). Not that the games are similar in tone and vibe. On the contrary. But Cloak and Dagger Games’ game is one of the most compelling and atmospheric adventures I’ve seen.

So: The Lucas Arts comparisons are more of a mechanical nature, because for various narrative and creative reasons, Hob’s Barrow has an uneasy feeling from the first minute, just like the dense fog hangs over the English hillbilly moor and the village of Bewlay. Archaeologist Thomasina Bateman was invited there – around 1900 – to excavate a burial mound. The only problem is: the good man who extended the invitation is nowhere to be found and the residents of the desolate little town claim to have never heard of the attraction.

There really isn’t much more that can be said about this, except that of course there’s more to it than meets the eye – and that the feeling that it would have been better not to have come here doesn’t let go of you over the entire duration. It’s not like there isn’t a lot to smile about. Thomasina is a fantastic point and click protagonist. Witty, resolute, open-hearted and not quick to make prejudices at hand and accordingly spoken professionally (in English). The rest of the cast is excellent too. Wordplay and harsh country bumpkin dialect provide the necessary bright moments.

A fine example is a reply from the grumpy undertaker I find leaning against the pub wall. When I ask him if the fine white glove I just found belongs to him, he snaps back: “What do you think?”. Stupid question, sure. But it’s nice that the authors understand how to draw a character with just a few words, how to give him profile.

When it comes to operation, the game is state-of-the-art in adventure research: As it should be, the spacebar shows the interactive points and the inventory opens automatically when you move the mouse to the upper edge of the screen. Right-click views an item, left-click and drag-and-drop is the way to go. You can double-click exits to get there directly, and fast travel to each location makes progress easier. The notebook summarizes the current tasks for each day, so that you can make good progress even without a typing system, even if the steps from one task stage to the next are not always immediately apparent. And when everything is done for the day, you return to the pub for a chat and then make your bed in the guest room.

The puzzles are structured very logically and you progress quickly. Only occasionally did I start to combine things out of helplessness, because the inventory also always remains manageable. Most of the time it was a signal that I had overlooked something. Means: walking through the places again, looking for missed objects, things that have changed, or new people to talk to, to whom you can show lost objects so that you can continue.

That’s perhaps the only length I felt from time to time in this game: that sometimes you have to search a little to see where to go next. However, since the main part of the game is divided into ten locations of typical adventure size, the running work was limited. And anyway: between the desolation of Bewlay and the spooky wide moors, it actually changes quite excellently. You can almost feel the musty air in your nostrils and all the time you think you are on the trail of a big secret that you quickly feel personally invested in solving.

Also very strong: the stylistic decision to repeatedly go to the staging of dramaturgical inserts in hand-pixelated close-ups. Shocked pairs of eyes, a convulsive face, a staring cat that somehow doesn’t look right. It sends chills down your spine several times as the game suddenly steps in close and brings Hob’s Barrows’ disturbingly sickly chill – not horror – unrolled in front of you in large format. Appropriately, the music is also beautifully dreadful.

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow Test – Conclusion

So, just in time for the clammy season to set in, Hob’s Barrow is the perfect candlelight adventure, blanket and red wine, or whatever drink is synonymous with coziness. Playing this beautifully hand-pixeled adventure conserves GPU power and the chill of the turned-down heater only enhances immersion in this gothic tale. Not that the game needs external support, as Hob’s Barrow is excellently written, logically structured and populated by interesting characters who make it a pleasure to explore the mysteries of Bewlay with. I was even more drawn to this extremely classic-looking game than the new Monkey Island, and that’s saying something. It’s confirmed once again: if it says Wadjet Eye, even if only as a publisher, you can actually buy it unseen.

Excavation of Hob’s Barrow Pros and Cons

Per

• Cleverly written characters, compelling story
• Dense, spooky atmosphere
• Mostly very logical puzzles
• Very good (English) speakers
• Excellent operation and comfort functions

cons

• I had to look in places to see how it went on
• No German texts

Developer: Cloak and Dagger Games Publishers: Wadjet Eye – Platforms: personal computer release: available – Genre: Point and click adventures Price (RRP): €12.49 (Steam)