Curse of Resthaven, the gothic horror adventure from Toronto-based Hilltop Studios, puts players in the role of Ambrose, the newly appointed governor of a remote colony. His mission to restore prosperity is complicated by the disappearance of his niece, Amalia, and by a disaster that destroys the island six days after his arrival. Ambrose is then sent back to the beginning, retaining his memories while the rest of Resthaven returns to its usual routines.
The game combines narrative investigation with trading, deckbuilding and roguelike mechanics. Each six-day loop offers another chance to question residents, manage businesses, explore the island and apply knowledge gained during previous attempts. The objective is not to repeat the same actions, but to use new information to reach clues and opportunities that were previously inaccessible.
Hilltop Studios recommends speaking with residents more than once. Their responses can change depending on what Ambrose has learned, which subjects he raises and what has occurred during the current loop. Interrogations can also connect different leads: information from one character may unlock a useful question for another. The journal indicates when it may be worth returning to someone.
Trading is another central part of the investigation. Merchant ships provide goods to buy and sell, while upgrades to local businesses can generate resources needed for other activities. Money alone is not enough, since particular materials may be required to pursue opportunities or prepare expeditions into the wilderness.
Players are encouraged to organize each day around a specific objective. There are more people to question, businesses to oversee and locations to visit than can normally be handled in one loop. An unsuccessful attempt can still provide valuable information for the next one, while familiar tasks can be skipped once their outcome is already known.
Outside Resthaven’s fortified town, expeditions use a card-based narrative system influenced by roguelikes, deckbuilders and choose-your-own-adventure games. Encounters are drawn from a pool, so different trips can produce different events, decisions and discoveries. The wilderness is also connected to the main investigation, with resources and information that may help Ambrose make progress elsewhere, including the search for Amalia’s campsites.
Exploration of the town can reveal optional content such as collectible moth relics and other hidden discoveries. Fast travel makes it easier to move between areas, but relying on it too heavily can mean missing side content. Previously visited locations and conversations may also become more significant as Ambrose learns more about the colony.
When progress stalls, the journal is the main source of direction. Its active leads can suggest the next step, while a timeline unlocked after the opening hours shows important events across the six-day cycle. An unknown entry on the timeline may indicate that Ambrose needs to be in a particular place at a particular time.
The town map shows which characters can be reached in each zone at different times. After meeting a named non-playable character, the map replaces that person’s question mark with a portrait, making them easier to locate in later loops. Remaining question marks may point to characters Ambrose has not yet encountered. Gossip can also provide useful leads, since some answers come from asking residents about a subject rather than conducting a formal interrogation.
The investigation is structured around clues of increasing specificity. Some provide general direction and are held by many residents, while more precise clues are known by fewer people. The most decisive clues reveal the next step in a lead and may be available from only one or two characters.
Curse of Resthaven includes three branching timelines, each revealing different parts of the larger mystery. Completing all three unlocks a fourth, true ending. Players are not expected to discover every quest or revelation during their first playthrough. After completing a timeline, New Game+ lets Ambrose draw on his growing sense of déjà vu to move more quickly through familiar content and focus on new possibilities.
Curse of Resthaven launched on October 29 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC.
Sources: Xbox Wire.