Regular readers will have likely spotted a recurring theme here on Rogueliker, and that is how much I enjoy it when developers splice disparate genres together to make new and exciting things.
Curse of Resthaven is the latest game to spark my sense of curiosity, as it bridges some very different ideas, with the looping gameplay of a roguelite serving the functional structure of an adventure game.
Things get even more enigmatic when you throw in the inventory management, sprinkle on a bit of deckbuilding, and even add in some town management elements. In other words, there is a lot going on.
If your interest has been piqued as much as mine has, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s actually a new demo for the game out today. It lets you experience the time-looping cycle three times, and familiarise yourself with the world of Resthaven.
It’s not quite a Groundhog Day situation; you actually get a couple of days to interact with the world and make an impact before things reset, but reset they will.
Two days should be enough time to see the game’s various core mechanics, including the card-based missions and the different management aspects, and you’ll have a chance to interrogate the locals.
In the full game, the loop is a bit longer – six days, I think – but in both you’ll have to use your time carefully, learning your lessons and then taking some progress through to the next cycle.
Along the way you’re up against Eldritch-style horrors of some sort, but at least there’s a local goddess on hand to buff your stats! You’ll need all the help you can get if you’re going to rescue your missing niece and lift the curse on the local area…
Hilltop Studios is the developer cooking up this gothic horror roguelite adventure game, and it should be noted that the audio-visual side of the presentation is looking really good. The art is haunting but detailed, the music is clearly a big focus, and the whole thing is fully voiced with more than 20 actors characters.
If you’d like to see it for yourself, you can head over to Steam and download the Curse of Resthaven demo now, and it is playable on both Mac and Windows PC.
