Curse of Resthaven is a detective mystery where time is another piece of the puzzle

There’s nothing I love more than getting lost in a gripping tale of suspense and mystery, so you can usually find me with a book in my hands if I can escape the computer long enough. This distraction from real-life is amplified by games that take that storytelling and place you in the middle of it, and I can think of few better examples of this than Curse of Resthaven. 

Curse of Resthaven is a detective adventure game by Hilltop Studios. It’s a game made up of many different slices that are perfectly balanced to create something unforgettable and moreish, with a gorgeous hand-drawn, sketchy art style that will have you captivated. 

With the townsfolk being inherently distrustful of the Imperial Governor and the possible murder of the one who held the post previously, Curse of Resthaven is the type of game that piles on the questions, packs in the distractions, and executes a perfectly woven tale of sinister mysteries, bizarre events, and an unexpected time loop.

Questioning who to trust

Garet is the Governor’s Valet and the first person you meet after stepping foot on the island. I do not trust him even a little bit.

Garet seems a little too accepting of the strange happenings and hell-bent on distracting you from searching for Amalia, with an underlying creepiness that seeps into every word he says. Honestly, it’s a testament to David Leyshon, who voices him, that I feel that way; his performance has made Garet almost real in my head, and that takes serious talent considering the character doesn’t really move at all. 

At one point, Garet is trying to get rid of the previous Governor’s wife while she appears to be nine months pregnant and ready to drop. You have the choice whether to let her stay or not, but what kind of monster would kick her out of the place she’s called home in her condition? Garet then goes on to tell you about Agata, who can provide information about expeditions, but as soon as you mention that she may know something about Amalia, Garet decides everything Agata says must be taken with a grain of salt. 

Very suspicious, if you ask me. 

Alas, Garet seems to be the go-to man for any issues, which is an unfortunate situation. But we adapt, and we talk to the residents of Resthaven to discover the truth and uncover secrets that would probably be better left hidden. Between the mystery of what happened to the former Governor and the weirdness that permeates the island, there are plenty of questions waiting to be answered. 

Time management is a skill

Trading is a huge part of your new life as Governor of Resthaven, and it takes up a significant chunk of your time each day. Whether you’re bartering for goods and profits with neighboring islands or working toward restoring Resthaven’s underground drugs market, there’s always something you need to do to keep the town functioning and eventually bring it back from the brink of collapse.

You can question the people you meet while exploring Resthaven about topics you have written in your notebook, but don’t expect them to tell you anything; they don’t trust you, and who could blame them? You’re a newcomer on an island that the former Governor seems to have left in ruins. You need to earn their trust by improving the economy of the town, gradually earning the ability to learn new topics and investigate new leads in the search for Amalia.

You get six slots of time per day, with activities using up those slots. Questioning someone uses up one slot, while trading down at the docks and going on expeditions each use two. A huge part of the gameplay in Curse of Resthaven is managing your time to make sure you can do everything you need to do before the day ends. 

If you’re focusing on improving the town, you’ll need to put more time into trading, but if you want to learn the unsettling truths of the island, you’ll need to focus on expeditions and questioning. You need to strike the perfect balance between tasks, especially given the fact that some of the residents won’t talk until things start looking up for them. 

Expeditions and investigations

Curse of Resthaven is a game of many parts that come together to form something that’s hard to describe but a joy to experience. At its heart, it’s a detective story with side quests that somehow don’t feel like side quests at all. Everything is important to the overall story, with answers to some questions coming from the most unlikely of sources. 

One of my favorite parts of Curse of Resthaven is the expedition system. Each day, you can head out into the wilderness via the town map and explore the island. Lore-wise, you’re supposed to be looking for new outpost possibilities and resources, but I’ve found that the stories that play out during these expeditions are genuinely captivating. 

They also end up playing a vital role in at least one lead in which you have to go searching for Dr. Hastings, who is connected to Amalia. It’s all very complicated, and I fear I would need a pin board and some red string to explain the situation coherently. You’ll just have to play the demo if you want to know more about this gripping tale. 

The investigation mechanic is a different beast. A lot of the people you meet in Resthaven can be questioned on known topics, but they don’t have the time or patience to answer every question you have. You only have three topic choices to use during an investigation, so you need to pick wisely, depending on what you’re currently seeking answers to. 

Where did this time loop come from?

While playing the demo, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on things. I was questioning people, going out on expeditions; I even found the hidden drug dealer in the alley behind the tavern. 

Then I had a bad dream in which I witnessed the obliteration of the town. A Goddess suddenly appeared to me, and I unlocked some perks for the next loop.  For some reason, it didn’t sink in that Curse of Resthaven had revealed itself to be a time loop game until I saw “Day 1” on my screen for the second time. 

Suddenly, I was back at the beginning, meeting the untrustworthy Garet all over again, with access to information I didn’t have the first time around. And thanks to the Goddess, I had unlocked a skill that let me see which topics the people I questioned had information about. While unexpected, the time loop mechanic felt like the cherry on top of an already delicious cake. 

Curse of Resthaven is an epic tale of mystery and possibly paranormal oddities that will have you hooked from the very first moment you step into its world. The full game is still in development by Hilltop Studios, but the demo is well worth playing, and you can even earn extra goodies for the full game by completing quests and leads in the demo!