Mina the Hollower vs Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Retro action-puzzle vs reactive RPG writing — one trusts your reflexes, the other your choices.
Updated 23d 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 Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Mina the Hollower | Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon |
|---|---|---|
| Value Mina the Hollower wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 Steam | $31.49 −30% · GOG |
| All-time low | $19.99 | $17.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.09/hr $19.99 · 18 h main story | $1.13/hr $31.49 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low vs $19.99 low | +75% low was Feb 2024 |
| Main story | 18 h | 28 h |
| Health Mina the Hollower wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 89% 8k reviews | 88% 35k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 88% 577 votes · vs 89% lifetime | 85% 1k votes · vs 88% lifetime |
| Peak players | 1,564 Jul 2026 · ↓ 82% MoM | 6,694 Jul 2026 · ↑ 60% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 26% of May 2025 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 |
| All-time peak | — | 25,568 May 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 4 weeks ago | 3 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | 18 in last 90 days | 4 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 love Nintendo-hard action games that don't explain themselves.
- You're a Yacht Club fan who wants more Shovel Knight-style polish.
- You have a soft spot for Game Boy Color aesthetics and 60fps gameplay.
Pick Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon if
- You crave Morrowind-like reactive worlds and dialogue-driven storytelling.
- You prefer dark Arthurian fantasy with gritty, Polish-developed writing.
- You can overlook janky combat for a branching narrative that respects your choices.
Bottom line
Choose Mina the Hollower for tight action; choose Tainted Grail for deep, branching role-playing. If you value combat over story, pick Mina.
More comparisons
- Hollow Knight: Silksong vs Mina the Hollower
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon vs The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Hades II vs Mina the Hollower
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Mina the Hollower vs Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Cyberpunk 2077 vs Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon