There is something special about gathering some friends around a table and destroying some unknowable evil. Tabletop has evolved to include all sorts of genres, from fantasy all the way to horror. When I learned that Horror at Highrook was Nullpointer Games’ attempt at blending a narrative experience with the cosmic horror of Cthulu in a tabletop game, my curiosity was piqued. I was ready to see past the veil and dive into this world of incomprehensible horrors.
However, the first thing I see after selecting a new game is a curious menu. It isn’t very intrusive and merely sits as an introduction to the game, but something about it felt out of place to me. This could be due to the fact that the menu offers to teach more about the game or to allow me to explore the game myself, which the in-game tutorial does well. I’d say that the mechanics of the game are very easy to comprehend, but if you need more help, there are plenty of resources available for you.
Exploring the Board
The premise for Horror at Highrook, I would simply describe as what if the game Clue was about figuring out what had happened to the benefactor that called everyone there.
Each character has skills that are unique to them that will be required to complete tasks. For example, Atticus is a hunter, tracker, and the brawn of the group. He is able to cook and hunt the best out of the four characters but can’t work with machines or medicine as well. Skills can overlap that way multiple characters can help with similar tasks. So, while Atticus is busy Astor, the mechanist, can hunt for food.
This allows for strategies to allow characters to rest and take shifts. Players will need to manage each character’s exhaustion and more importantly, madness, which can make a character unable to act. The primary source of madness will be a special type of card that will appear randomly on the board, ghosts. Ghosts can take spots near characters that can slowly drive them mad, or have other effects as players choose to linger near these mysterious effects. These little effects are fast and won’t instantly kill a playthrough but add immensely to the atmosphere.
This atmosphere is improved by the fact that characters are represented by cards that players will use in tandem with a room. Some cards are one-use items while others are meant for players to grind multiple times to gain bonuses or unlock a new note that explores the story further. Players will need these notes to gain hints on what to do or which room to explore. These notes are possibly one of the weakest sections of the entire game. While notes are understandably unvoiced, I expected the characters to at least say something. Characters are also completely silent leaving long sections of the story with little to no sound design.
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but each character tended to have a full paragraph for each text box that would appear on screen. Veterans of the RPG genre will not be bothered in the slightest by these long stretches of silence. However, I feel that these scenes devoid of voice acting will hurt Horror at Highrook‘s ability to reach a larger audience. Especially considering I found the main story hooks so interesting.
The End of a Long Night
Throughout the night, the characters explored the mansion chasing down clues from the study to the machine room. I had become invested in them so when the demo came to an end, I almost shouted that I wanted, no, needed more. The mystery is still unsolved, I can’t wait to play even more when the game fully launches and I can get my greedy hands all over it.
I was deeply impressed with Horror at Highrook with the hour that I had with it. The narrative was intriguing and the mystery like any good cosmic horror invites players to explore more. The lack of voice acting hurts but there is so much to experience that I am sure, players will readily read every word that is shown.
Really, though, the best part is that you can now experience the Horror at Highrook demo for yourself on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest. After all, so much awaits us at Highrook, and I’m sure, like me, you won’t be able to resist telling everyone about this unique horror title.
