Our Debut Videogame
On October 2nd, 2025 we launched our first videogame, Éalú. The game was self funded and created by Beyond the Bark’s Ivan Fisher-Owen in collaboration with Benjamin Orr, Will Wood & JT Paton. In it, players guide a clockwork mouse through a wooden labryinth , seeking a way out.
Crafted by a small team
Éalú is an interactive silent film, in the style of a classic point & click adventure game. Every frame of the game was stopmotion animated by hand by Ivan. The resulting 512 animation clips were woven together in the Unity engine by Benjamin Orr to create an interactive experience. Will Wood composed a beautiful, instrumental score to accompany Éalú ranging in emotional tone from playful to unsettling creating the game’s atmosphere. Wonderful touches in the form of illustrations created by JT Paton help to give life to Éalú’s rodent protagonist.
Press & Reviews
Since launch, Éalú is well loved by players, garnering an over 90% positive review score on Steam. It’s been featured and reviewed by prominent game & art websites, receiving widespread acclaim.
RTÉ: New games reviewed: Irish-made Éalú is a must-play puzzler
Stop Motion Magazine: Éalú – A Handcrafted Stop-Motion Puzzle Adventure
Rock Paper Shotgun: Explore a puppetmaker's fear of "dark or fruitless" digital conditioning….
Game Boomers: Review by Flotsam
Adventure Game Hotspot: It’s worth forking over some cheddar for this short but charming stop-motion puzzler…
GameDaily: Ealu: A Handmade Stop-Motion Journey Through Puzzles, Emotion, and Escape
Noobfeed: Beyond the Bark's debut brings a wooden world of wonder, danger, and deep emotion to life.
The Tartan: Is there cheese in the great beyond? Nine out of 10 stop motion mice say yes!