The Charnel House Trilogy (2015)
Released in April, the three-part horror adventure The Charnel House Trilogy takes place on a train travelling along the borderlands between life and death. The game is built around Sepulchre, which was originally released as a standalone title. The two new episodes differ markedly from one another as well as from Sepulchre, resulting in a whole that makes it difficult to say whether its garish, collage-like nature is intentional or a failed attempt to retroactively assemble a longer story around Sepulchre.
Behind the game is the small British indie collective Owl Cave, with writing by Ashton Raze. Owl Cave openly declares its focus on storytelling. The group is best known for its 2013 release Richard and Alice, set in an end-of-the-world atmosphere. Despite their narrative differences, these two games share a certain everyday bluntness and realism. By depicting seemingly ordinary people and their unglamorous lives, they do not appeal to the mainstream, and may struggle to win over even fans of indie games.
An incompatible trilogy
In the first part of The Charnel House Trilogy, Inhale, the player meets Alex, a young woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend. The setting is Alex’s apartment, where the player is given a few small tasks, with the ultimate aim of getting Alex ready for a journey. The first episode pokes fun at adventure game clichés and at horror itself. It is a kind of parody, a wry, tongue-in-cheek commentary.
In the second episode, Sepulchre, the player controls Dr Lang, who is travelling to an archaeological dig. This part, which is also available as a standalone short game, is a subtle horror story that gradually builds an increasingly ominous atmosphere. Dr Lang and Alex from the first episode are linked by the fact that they boarded the same train. Alex does not, however, appear in this second episode except in a very indirect way.
In the third episode, Exhale, the focus returns to Alex, whose experiences on the train grow ever stranger. It remains unclear whether Alex is dreaming, as she herself suspects, yet is unable to wake up. Did she even board any train in reality? The third episode unpacks Alex’s relationship with her boyfriend — what led to the breakup and what really happened. The story feels like a B-grade college thriller aimed at women in their twenties, and is therefore completely different from the other two episodes.
Altogether, I spent around two hours playing through the three parts.
Tasks
The game’s tasks are focused on advancing the story. They are very simple, and even talking about difficulty feels almost inappropriate. The story itself is also straightforward in its progression, despite leaving open questions. The style is thoroughly stripped down, with no real attempt at complex gameplay or narrative design. Alex and Dr Lang share the same destination, but the story as a whole feels like a reckless attempt to weave together elements that have nothing to do with one another. The same applies to the tasks.
Graphics and sound
The graphics and sound design are not flashy, but they seem to serve their purpose. The game features voice acting that gives character to the protagonists — Dr Lang as a British academic, Alex as a young American woman. All other characters on the train have an unreal quality, as if they were speaking from inside the protagonists’ minds. The lines are strange, everything is strange, and it makes one wonder what it must have been like for the voice actors to step into these roles.
Verdict
The tripartite structure of The Charnel House Trilogy did not resonate with me, nor did the parody-like tone of the first and third episodes amuse me. Sepulchre, taken on its own in all its detachment, is by contrast an effective little horror story.
As a trilogy, I would give it an overall score of 44 out of 100. For Sepulchre alone, I would give 54. There is, however, something unique about Owl Cave’s games. They make adventure games in their own way, even against the mainstream of indie gaming.
Availability
The Charnel House Trilogy is available for Windows. Sepulchre is available separately as a free download.