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Game

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse

2026

0Score
Low Cash-Grab Risk

The sourced concerns are substantially offset by delivered value.

What counts as a cash grab?

Commercial extraction prioritized over meaningful consumer or creative value. Profit, popularity, adaptations, sequels, remakes, high budgets, and normal marketing do not count by themselves.

Why?

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse is a March 2026 Metroidvania/roguelite developed by Frontside 180 and published by Pocketpair Publishing, available on Steam and consoles. The Steam store shows a modest full-game price and optional paid soundtrack and art book items. Press coverage and reviews emphasize hand-drawn art, a distinctive cursed-hat mechanic, and substantial single- and multiplayer design work. Community posts note Switch visual/readability complaints and questions about eShop availability, but there is no authoritative evidence of predatory monetization or deceptive release practices.

  • Official store lists the full-priced game plus optional paid soundtrack and art book, no evidence of in-game microtransactions.
  • Multiple outlets and review aggregates praise art, mechanics, and substantive content, supporting mitigating production value.
  • Price on Steam is modest for a full release, suggesting no obvious price to content mismatch.
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  • Community threads report Switch visual/readability complaints and possible eShop availability issues, but these are not corroborated by official takedown notices.

Score factors

DirectionFactorEvidenceImpact
AgainstPositive critical coverage and production reportingIndependent outlets and review aggregates report generally positive reception, praise for art and design, and note substantive content blending Metroidvania and roguelite systems.[3][2][4]-16
AgainstDistinct mechanics and substantive contentCoverage and demo/review pieces highlight the cursed-hat possession mechanic, village hub progression and multiplayer, indicating substantive new content rather than trivial reuse.[1][2]-13
AgainstModest full-game priceThe Steam store lists a modest full-game price (shown at $16.99 with a launch discount), which is not indicative of a price/value mismatch for a full release.[1]-11
ForOptional paid extras on storeThe Steam store lists the base game plus separately sold soundtrack and art book and a deluxe bundle, indicating optional paid extras are offered.[1][6]+8
AgainstDeveloper identity and launch coverageDeveloper Frontside 180 and publisher Pocketpair published official launch information and platform release dates in press coverage and the PlayStation Blog.[5][7]-5
ForPublisher backing by PocketpairThe game is published by Pocketpair Publishing, the studio and publishing arm covered in press pieces linking it to other high-profile Pocketpair projects.[5][8]+4
ForCommunity reports of Switch visual/readability problemsReddit threads show players reporting blurry visuals and hard-to-read text on Switch and asking if the eShop listing was removed, but there is no official statement cited.[9]+3

Confidence: Medium · I consulted official store pages, publisher press and multiple reviews, which give good evidence of pricing and production quality, but community reports about console issues lack authoritative confirmation and there is no clear evidence of predatory in-game monetization. · Researched 2026-09-01

Sources reviewed

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