Curse of Resthaven, a single-player narrative roguelite made in Toronto, launched on October 29 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, and its Xbox Wire listing shows a price of $19.99. The studio, Hilltop Studios, published a tips guide the next day, October 30, 2026, and it doubles as a good primer on how the game works.
What is Curse of Resthaven?
It is a gothic mystery that mixes investigation, town management, trading and deck building. You play Ambrose, the newly appointed governor of the island colony of Resthaven, who is also searching for his missing niece, Amalia.
Six days into his tenure the island is destroyed, and Ambrose is sent back to the day he arrived, the only person who remembers. According to Hilltop Studios, there are three timelines to finish, and only by reaching all three conclusions do you unlock a fourth, true ending. The studio’s director, Scott Christian, says his team’s debut was the comedy Lil’ Guardsman, so this is a deliberate turn to horror.
How much does it cost and where can you play it?
The Xbox Wire page lists the game at $19.99 and shows Digital Bandidos as the publisher. The Xbox store listing also gives $19.99, and says the game is not part of a Game Pass subscription, although it can be played through Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate once you own it.
MobileSyrup reports the game also comes to PS5, PC and Mac, with the PC version on Steam. Hilltop Studios is in Toronto, so this is a Canadian-made release, but neither the Xbox pages nor the Xbox Wire post state a Canadian dollar price. Check the Xbox or Steam store in your region before you buy.
What do the developer’s tips say?
The tips are less about winning and more about how to think in a time loop. In our own summary:
- Talk to everyone, then talk again. What residents say depends on what Ambrose already knows and what happened in the current loop. The journal tells you when to revisit someone.
- Treat trading as part of the mystery. Merchant ships bring goods and businesses can be upgraded, and the right resources matter for expeditions as much as money does.
- Use each reset. You keep your knowledge, so do not repeat the same six days. Spend time on a new lead instead.
- Expect the wilderness to change. Expeditions use a card-based system where encounters are drawn from a pool, so no two trips play out the same.
- Wander. Optional finds such as collectible moth relics reward players who skip fast travel.
If you get stuck, the journal lists active leads, and after the opening hours it unlocks a timeline of the six-day loop. A “???” on that timeline means something important happens at that moment that you have not found yet. Clues come in three strengths: many townspeople give small nudges, fewer give specific details, and only one or two give a clear next step. A New Game+ mode adds a sense of déjà vu so you can skip ground you already covered.
Who it suits
Fans of mystery and narrative games. The store text promises more than 25 fully voiced characters to question, and a story that changes with the path you take.
Roguelite and deckbuilder players who like structure. Runs are short, six days at a time, and knowledge carries over, so progress never feels wasted.
Players who want a firm checklist. The studio says you will not see everything in one playthrough by design. If you prefer a single linear story, this may frustrate you.
Budget-minded buyers. At $19.99 it is priced below many full releases, though the sources do not say how long a complete playthrough takes.
What is still unknown?
The sources do not give a playtime, a Canadian price or any Game Pass plans. For the latest platform and price details, check the Xbox store page or the Steam listing.
