Mina the Hollower vs Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Both undercut their inspirations with 88% Steam approval, but only one respects your time — the other asks for patience and map-reading.
Updated 8d ago
Mina's burrow-and-whip combat dethrones its Game Boy inspirations — essential for retro action fans.
A grimdark Skyrim-killer with crunchier combat and packed-with-stuff exploration — buys in if you can stomach the solo-dev pacing.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 8; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 8.
| Measure | Mina the Hollower | Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon |
|---|---|---|
| Value Mina the Hollower wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 Steam | $44.99 Steam |
| All-time low | $17.99 | $17.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.09/hr $19.99 · 18 h main story | $1.61/hr $44.99 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | +11% low was Aug 2026 | +150% low was Feb 2024 |
| Main story | 18 h | 28 h |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 88% 9k reviews | 88% 35k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 82% 296 votes · vs 88% lifetime · souring | 84% 669 votes · vs 88% lifetime |
| Peak players | 641 Aug 2026 · ↓ 59% MoM | 4,509 Aug 2026 · ↓ 33% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 18% of May 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 8,760 Jun 2026 · now at 7% | 25,568 May 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 2 months ago | 2 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 6 in last 90 days | 1 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Mina the Hollower
The burrow-and-whip combat loop is the hook that genre veterans keep returning to.
The initial difficulty spike is the biggest friction point for new players.
from our July 2026 verdict
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Exploration is the hook that keeps 100-hour fans coming back — every hidden nook holds something worth the detour, and combat's weighty crunch holds up across playthroughs.
Mid-game quests start to drag, and interior spaces lacking maps make navigation a persistent friction even for veterans.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Mina the Hollower if
- You grew up on Link's Awakening and want that structure with tighter combat.
- You have 18 hours and want a front-loaded challenge that rewards persistence.
- You hate tutorials and prefer games that explain nothing upfront.
Pick Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon if
- You want Skyrim's exploration loop without quest-marker handholding or polished AAA sheen.
- You'll tolerate first-person stamina combat and a smaller, act-based map.
- You have 28 hours and don't mind waiting for patches to smooth rough edges.
Bottom line
Pick Mina if you want a focused 18-hour retra-style challenge from a studio that patches often; pick Tainted Grail only if you crave dark Arthurian freedom and can overlook a game that lost 82% of its launch players.
More comparisons
- Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Mina the Hollower
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- Mina the Hollower vs Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
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