Tales from Candleforth is a brief but enjoyable point-and-click game with a lovely art style.
Folk horror is a genre of movie that I quite enjoy, but find it quite hard to nail down exactly what it is. Movies like The Wicker Man, Midsommar, and The Wailing tend to revolve around isolated settlements and pagan rituals, so I’ve come to the conclusion that those are key components to these types of movies. Tales from Candleforth certainly hits these themes, so the devs describing the game as a folk horror point & click adventure is pretty accurate. The creepy atmosphere and esoteric puzzles are enjoyable when paired with the interesting tale that sadly doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Tales from Candleforth uses the framing device of you reading a mysterious tome in the presence of a pumpkin-headed creature named Khal. Supposedly the tales in the book change depending on who is reading it, and it becomes apparent quite quickly that the stories within aren’t ones that will stay within their own pages. The saga you’re reading is that of Dorothy and her granddaughter Sarah, who you spend most of the game playing as. Sarah is coming of age and will soon inherit her magical powers that women in the family are able to control, but before this happens, the ill Dorothy goes missing and strange tears begin appearing in reality. Sarah sets out on a quest to find three mysterious items that will supposedly help bring Dorothy back from the brink of death.
The narrative is told in an interesting way, with lots of visual interpretation and foreshadowing, even though this game only clocks in at two hours or so. It’s helped considerably by the hand drawn art style that gives everything an almost rustic look that I really appreciated. There’s little in the way of animation, but it’s not really needed when this is designed to be the inside of a story book.
Gameplay is somewhat akin to a cross between classic point & click games and more modern escape rooms. I was reminded of the Bad Dream games as I played, partially because of the art style, but also because the puzzles that seem illogical in real terms are quite fitting in the universe. Something like hanging a loose eyeball on a hook may seem odd, but when you’re told that those eyes might make good bait for catching something then it fits the game’s narrative.
With that said, some of the puzzles were woefully under explained. At one point you need to click through a series of mirrors in the correct order to progress. I couldn’t work out what the pattern was, so eventually I just brute forced it and reached the solution. I still have no idea what I was meant to be doing, so maybe it’s a me problem, but I think a little more signposting could be useful in some places. This was uncommon throughout the play time at least. A couple of other puzzles were overly simplistic and played like sliding tile puzzles or ones where a ball rolls all the way to the end of a row and you need to navigate it to an exit. Honestly, they’re quite a mixed bag, but when they land it’s very enjoyable to work through. Those “I’ve got it!” moments are very satisfying.
Throughout you’ll see all sorts of creepy imagery. People intertwined with trees, giant, bleeding insects, and holes in reality through which other stories seem to be bleeding through. This is all very well done in my mind, and the art style really works with the atmosphere the developers are going for. This continues throughout the tale, but sadly the last few moments take a bit of a swerve that feels unearned. The twist before this point is not shocking as it’s quite fitting with the genre, but the final moments kind of spoil it. I’d have rather have simply returned to Khal with them saying that the narrative wasn’t what they were expecting compared to those that had come before. There could be a setup for future tales that could have elements of this one bleed through. It feels like a missed opportunity.
However, that slightly sour ending doesn’t spoil the enjoyable horror adventure that has come before it. Whether you feel the £10 price tag is worth a two hour experience is another matter, but I for one feel it’s good value for money, as there are secrets to find along the way which may well push you to have another playthrough. I know it’s a cliche, but fans of the genre will find something to enjoy here, but I doubt it will turn the heads of those who aren’t.
Tales from Candleforth is available now on PC, Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch.
