Curse of Resthaven review: Governor of a cursed island
The gothic adventure from Toronto combines a time loop, island management and card-based expeditions. Critics praise the story, style and music.
Photo: Jchmrt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · Digital Bandidos · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: Gamer Social Club 8/10 · KonsoliFIN 4/5 · So Many Games 3.5/5
- Platforms
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac
- Studio
- Hilltop Studios
- Release
- 29.10.2026
+ Pros
- Strong, grim story with twists
- Distinctive art style and characters
- Outstanding music and sound
- Permanent upgrades after each loop
– Cons
- Governance and trading feel bland
- Awkward menus
- Repetitive expeditions
- Some twists are predictable
Critics' verdict
An atmospheric gothic adventure whose story, style and music carry it past its gameplay weaknesses.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
Curse of Resthaven has been available since 29 October on PC and Mac, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S; a Switch version is planned but has no date yet. The game was developed by Toronto-based Hilltop Studios, makers of Lil' Guardsman, and is published by Digital Bandidos. It costs 19.99 dollars on Steam, with text and voice-over in English only.
Upstart gentleman Ambrose becomes governor of the island colony of Resthaven to find his missing niece Amalia. But every six days gods rise and destroy the island, and the time loop starts over. In between, players question and trade with the townsfolk and send out card-driven expeditions; each loop ends with permanent upgrades.
MobileSyrup calls the game a must-play for fans of dark stories, praising its grim twists, art style, characters, music and sound. It criticises bland governance and trading mechanics, awkward menus, repetitive expeditions and some predictable turns. OpenCritic so far lists 8 out of 10 (Gamer Social Club), 4 out of 5 (KonsoliFIN) and 3.5 out of 5 (So Many Games).