If you’ve been on the hunt for a game that will scratch the itch left by The Roottrees are Dead, or Obra Dinn, well then look no further.
The incident at galley house is a paranormal investigation game, that sees you step back in time to watch memories through the use of a mysterious machine.
In this article we’ll be giving a full review of the game and ranking it from decaf to fully caffeinated.
story:
A good mystery game is nothing with a good story and The Incident at galley house definitely delivers a great story in spades. It’s got the type of story that hooks you in the same way a good book does, making it oh so hard to stop playing once you’ve started. You play as a character investigating a series of weird murders that occurred in the past, but your investigation is not ordinary by any means.
The game kicks off with you entering the scene of the crime: Galley House, because of course you need to investigate a weird creepy crime in an weird and creepy location.
The story unravels through the use of a mysterious machine that allows you to rewatch memories of the deceased, but only if you can correctly match the time, location, and people involved.
The story is fully voice acted, and completely immersive. The game takes you right back the the 1930s, with the sounds, costumes and decor creating a story that at first seems normal, but quickly becomes more and more concerning the more memories you view.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away, so I won’t be diving in to any more plot points, but let’s just say this is a story that will grip you tightly and not let you go until you get to the end.
For a story that is both gripping and eerie, I’m rating this one as Fully Caffeinated.
gameplay:
The gameplay takes the shape of a mix of point and click style interactive scenes, and dialogue that you follow along. You’ll find yourself with a few different screen options – a computer interface, a guess who style machine, and the creepy room you’re sitting in. To be able to work out what happened, you need to pop in details to the computer interface, and then use the machine to take you into the memories themselves. The memories only load if you’ve got the details correct, and the game won’t let you step into memories unless you’ve specifically uncovered the details needed to access them.
You’ll need to build your own timeline of events, deducing which character is which, what locations exist in the house, and match up the timing, characters, and location for each scene to be able to rewatch the memory. It’s almost got a Cluedo vibe – except instead of items, you’ve got a timeline to match up instead. Each of the memories you rewatch has both a written and spoken version of the dialogue, played concurrently so you can follow along, and you’re able to skip through the dialogue if you like which can really intensify the pacing of the game.
There is a hint system which is useful, and offers vague hints rather than just giving you the answer straight off the bat. I really loved that I was able to choose how to experience the game, and have a bit of control over the pacing with the choice of reading listening to the dialogue. The gameplay elements definitely felt immersive, and really felt like you were deciding what happened next and where to go. The mystery element is done so well in this game, and the gameplay intensifies the story, not detracting from it with too many steps or a complex system, but rather giving you a simple interface and just enough information to reach the next conclusion.
I will say that at times things felt ‘locked’, simply because I hadn’t watched a particular scene, stopping me from watch ing another memory even though I had the right information. This was a little frustrating, particularly as I got to the later stages of the game, and slowed down the pacing for me. I do appreciate the need for limiting random guesses, but it felt a little too limiting for me personally.
That being said, the gameplay was overall fantastic. It ticked all the boxes in terms of what a good mystery thriller needs, mixing so many elements perfectly to really allow the story to shine through.
For gameplay, I’m rating The Incident at Galley House Fully caffeinated.
design:
A game can’t possibly be immersive without being well designed, and this game absolutely transports you into the world it portrays. The scenes are beautifully illustrated, drawing you into the time period of the game, and adding depth to each of the characters. I loved how the characters appear just as blob ghosts until you match them with their portraits, and how the environments change based on the different information you have.
If there is one thing that absolutely immerses you in the game though, it’s got to be the sound design. The voice acting is superb, bringing the characters of the game to life. At times it feels as if you’re watching a movie or a stage show, with each voice actor really nailing the acting in both the lines delivered down to the grunts and groans added.
The sound effects up the ante on the eerie-ness of the game, particularly in the present day scenes, driving up the intensity of what you’re investigating and making it all feel urgent and necessary. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the addition of specific sound effects as a nod to key story elements was masterful, and really highlighted the impact seemingly simple sound effects can have.
The design of this game is what elevates it from a static story, to an immersive thriller, so for design, I’m rating The Incident at Galley House as Fully Caffeinated.
originality:
A good mystery based game cannot possibly exist without an original story, and Galley House delivers this in spades.
The story is such a unique premise, that has you guessing until the end, and takes a really interesting twist on a traditional murder mystery style story. That’s as much as I’m going to give away there, but just know you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the story line of this one.
In terms of gameplay, it has similar elements to other mystery games, as you’d expect in this genre. I’d compare it to games like TR-49 in that they both have incredible voice acting, atmosphere for days, and a computer based interface. They differ in their theming and, of course, their stories, and so both feel really original.
This is a game that truly stands on it’s own, so for originality, I’m rating The Incident at Galley House as Fully Caffeinated.
The Final Brew:
It’s not often that I find a game with a story that hooks me as tightly as a good book does, but this one sunk it’s claws into me and I found myself doing little other than playing in my free time until I finished it. It’s a game that takes the puzzle or detective genre and elevates it to a gripping mystery thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
We’ve ground the beans, we’ve carefully weighed and pressed the grinds, and brewed this game down. Now it’s time for a taste test….
The Incident at Galley House is Fully Caffeinated!
The Incident at Galley House is available on Steam now. Check it out here!
You can also check out the game this one is based off, Type Help, for free on Itch io.
Until next time, stay caffeinated!