We Love It's Guide to…
An antiquarian investigates a burial mound in a wary Victorian village, exploring, questioning locals, and solving point-and-click puzzles.
Released 28 Sep 2022
Excavate Hob’s Barrow
Question Bewlay’s Villagers
Explore Victorian Moorland
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...
Developed by Cloak and Dagger Games · Published by Wadjet Eye Games









Antiquarian Thomasina Bateman travels to the remote village of Bewlay to investigate Hob’s Barrow, an ancient burial mound connected to her work documenting English barrows. The locals are guarded, the person who summoned her is missing, and the village’s folklore complicates her excavation.
Explore the village and its surrounding moors, inspect locations for clues and useful objects, and talk with residents to learn what they know. Traditional point-and-click puzzles involve using items and information to make progress.
The mystery unfolds through conversations, discoveries, and strange dreams as Thomasina pursues access to the barrow. A journal and map-based travel help track the investigation and move between locations.
Players often praise the game’s slow-building folk-horror atmosphere, its rural English setting, and its voice performances, with many also enjoying the unfolding mystery and accessible puzzles. Some reviews find the later story or ending unsatisfying, particularly because dialogue choices do not change the outcome; others mention slower pacing or fetch-quest-like tasks.


Antiquarian 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 arrives. A stubborn landowner refuses access to the barrow, and the locals are wary of this woman who is traveling alone and (gasp!) wears trousers.
The excavation of Hob’s Barrow is off to a rocky start. And then Thomasina starts having strange dreams…

A dark, complex and evolving storyline featuring interwoven elements from real English folklore.
Traditional point and click adventure game puzzles and interactions, with an easy modern interface.
A cast of intriguing characters, from suspicious villagers to sickly vicars to lordly landowners, all with their own unique stories and motives.
A distinct folk horror tone and grounding.
Evocative pixel-art graphics, featuring cut-scenes and engaging animations.
A suitably atmospheric original soundtrack from The Machine. The Demon. - one half of the duo behind the award-winning "Football Game" soundtrack.
Fiends in the furrows, the smell of damp soil, and a cat or two.






| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 40 |
| Age ratings |
|
| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 2 listed on Steam |
| Metacritic | 80/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |