Hilltop Studios, best known for the critically praised Lil’ Guardsman, has revealed its next project: Curse of Resthaven, a roguelike horror game where players take on the role of a governor trapped in a cursed island colony with seven days to break a time loop before catastrophe strikes.
The game marks a deliberate shift from the studio’s debut. Where Lil’ Guardsman* leaned into whimsical, bureaucratic humor with a Papers, Please-inspired premise, Curse of Resthaven immerses players in a dark, gothic world—one that director Scott Christian describes as a fusion of Twin Peaks, Lost, and the eerie prose of Edgar Allan Poe. The stakes are personal, too: the player’s missing niece becomes a driving force behind the investigation, weaving together governance, exploration, and survival mechanics.
Each seven-day cycle presents a new opportunity to uncover secrets, trade with villagers, and venture beyond the town to solve the island’s mysteries. The game’s art style is entirely hand-drawn, reinforcing its atmospheric tone, while a new original score by Christian—who also composed the music for Lil’ Guardsman—further deepens the sense of dread and intrigue.
- Gothic Roguelike Structure: Seven-day time loops with permadeath consequences—failure means the island is destroyed.
- Narrative-Driven Exploration: 25 fully voiced characters and a hand-drawn art style to immerse players in Resthaven’s cursed lore.
- Dual Objectives: Govern the colony while searching for a missing relative, blending management and investigation.
- Dynamic Runs: Each attempt reveals new paths, resources, and hidden truths outside the main town.
- Original Score: Composed by Scott Christian, building on the studio’s musical strengths from Lil’ Guardsman.
The game is being published by Digital Bandidos, a studio founded by veterans of Lil’ Guardsman’s original publisher, Versus Evil. While no exact release date has been confirmed, Hilltop Studios has indicated Curse of Resthaven will arrive on PC, Mac, and consoles later this year.
Christian emphasized the game’s ambition: Despite the radical shift from Lil’ Guardsman’s cartoon world, Curse of Resthaven* builds on everything we learned. It’s a story-rich gothic horror experience designed to move players, unsettle them, and deliver deep replayability.
