Tainted Grail is one of the few role-playing games that strikes a similar chord with me as Skyrim. Now is an excellent time to explore its fantasy world.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is probably still two years or more away, and recently I almost started playing Skyrim or Oblivion again. But then it occurred to me: There’s also Tainted Grail! This fantasy RPG is one of the few that gives me a similar feel to The Elder Scrolls. And right now is a really good time to give the game a try.
What is Tainted Grail?
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon plunges us into a fantasy universe based on the world of a board game of the same name. It’s a kind of dark version of the Arthurian legend, enriched with new fantasy elements. The legendary king is also a central part of the story in the RPG. The world of Tainted Grail is semi-open: there are areas separated by loading screens, but we can explore them completely freely.
In terms of gameplay, we’re in for a role-playing game with abilities and skill points, where we can freely choose our playstyle: Whether we play a warrior with a two-handed sword and heavy armor, an archer, a mage, or a swordsman who also masters spells is entirely up to us. There are no fixed classes; we simply learn and equip whatever we enjoy.
You might already be noticing why Tainted Grail is often compared to Skyrim, but you’ll definitely realize it once you start playing. The simple combat system (but with a dodge move!), the look of the game world, and the user interface—all of it is strongly reminiscent of Skyrim. We explore to our heart’s content, discover quests and little secrets, loot plenty of weapons and armor from skeletons, bandits, and other monsters, and fill our inventory to the brim.
Yes, it’s clear time and again that Tainted Grail comes from a small team with a limited budget, rather than a massive game studio with hundreds of employees. But after all, Skyrim was also created by only about a hundred developers.
Why is it worth it now?
Tainted Grail was available in Early Access for years before the RPG left that phase in 2025. Before and after its official release, a slew of updates were released featuring bug fixes and improvements, many of which incorporated player feedback.
Small DLCs provided new content for free, and it wasn’t until October 1, 2026, that another free mini-expansion was released. This expansion delivers further performance and stability improvements, but also introduces an entirely new unarmed combat style, complete with new abilities and weapons (such as gloves that enhance hand-to-hand combat).
Combined with the Steam sale, where the RPG is available at half price, this provides some compelling reasons to give Tainted Grail a try right now. If you really like the game, the major expansion Sanctuary of Sarras also has even more quests and areas for you to explore. You still have plenty of time to check it all out before The Elder Scrolls 6 comes out. Sigh.
