i'm stuck, man. is the card game essential to progressing? also it's kinda annoying how you do not, at all, explain the rules of the game anywhere.
i found the creepy area preceded by the golden cthulhu statue, i walked back and forth but couldn't find anything to help me progress there. i saw the hobbit dude go back to the right screen upon entering there, and i also went into the uhh barn? there's a creature there but it's literally pitch black and i dont know how i'm supposed to do anything.
Sorry for the late reply. Here is a map of the swamp I drew years ago. Left and Right are sometimes reversed, so it's a bit confusing to follow...
First, you need to reach the Burning Bridge to get a key. Then, your aim is the Locked Gate, where there is a checkpoint. You can also get the checkpoint first, before getting the key (not sure if that makes the key path easier.) I hope this helps somehow. The area with the statue and the barn is for a later point of the game.