Hearthfire
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Hearthfire is linear romance furry visual novel where you play as Chris, the lost and snow-bound otter. Follow his frost-filled adventure as he comes to terms with the leftover pieces of his life while picking up feelings for his imposing savior.
Warning: this visual novel contains graphic content such as nudity and sexual scenes.
Synopsis:
Taking time off from college and failing grades, Chris decides to get away from everything by getting into his blue sedan and pointing it North. However, violent snow storms ensure that he never makes it to his destination.
Ending in a violent car crash, Chris finds himself stranded out in the Yukon mountains with no way home. He ends up being dragged from the snow and nursed back to health by an imposing and emotionally closed off polar bear named Tonraq.
Over time, he'll learn to crack that frigid exterior and see what's within as his savior helps him escape the unnatural snowstorms that threaten the polar bear's home. Along the way, Chris meets others in the small village of Iskut, making unlikely friends as they band together to help the lost otter find his way home.
Links and Credits:
You can find updates on Hearthfire's development on our Twitter and Bluesky!
Like the story? You can see more on Patreon! We have a few side stories up there you can check out for $5! All proceeds go into future projects!
Story by: Rolibar
Proofread by: Clu Clyde
Programmed by: Noel
Sprites by: Arcwuff
CGs by: Wildside
Playtesting: YFoxy
See 'About' section in-game for a list of asset sources used in this project.
Download
Install instructions
For Windows/Linux/Mac simply unzip and enjoy.
For android, download the APK and follow the instruction prompts on your phone.
When updating, just unzip/run the new versions like usual. Saves are located in a separate folder, so you don't need to worry about making new ones.
Development log
- Hearthfire Tales: Flatline (Part Two)33 days ago
- Epilogue Darryl Sprite Update74 days ago
- Hearthfire Tales: Flatline (Part One)83 days ago
- Hearthfire Tales: MemoryJul 04, 2024
- Summer Special Sprite UpdateJun 25, 2024
- Hearthfire 1.0 UpdateJun 01, 2024
- Build 1.0 Patreon ReleaseMay 03, 2024
- Hearthfire Tales: TouchdownApr 02, 2024
Comments
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I haven't cried so hard like this since finishing Adastra and I think this vn is one of the best VNs I ever read comparing to Adastra this vn is the next best one like a 15/10 in the score and my love to this heartwarming vn
Keep up the amazing work <3
Acabó de terminar con esta historia y fue increíble no me esperaba que me causará muchas emociones fue muy emotivo como se fue desarrollando,también dar una reflexión de vida según yo.
♥️👍
Wow, I haven't experienced such a great story like this since Adastra. Very well done. It has all the ups and downs and doesn't lose momentum after making strong emotional connections with characters. My favorite thing about Hearthfire is that the best moments never felt rushed. I can tell you really put some effort into this story. Thank you Rolibar. I truly enjoyed it.
What was the song at the end(not as you need tho, the one that happens before or during credits) just asking
Sure thing! It's called "Now or Never"
Enjoying the vn thus far, really like the narrative style and of course the content . Have noticed some redundancy in descriptions though. For example, the first paragraph. You don't need to mention it's the cabin of the car, since you already mentioned it was a car engine, just small things like that, but they can add up
Thanks for the catch! I try my best, but some redundancies are bound to slip in, hah.
The writing certainly smoothes our later. The prologue is the roughest part of this story. I had never written in extended first person before, and the VN format was completely new to me.
Thanks for still giving it a chance, though ~
Oh! And if you find more mistakes, feel free to message me privately on Itch or Twitter to let me know! I'd love to fix them.
Last time I played this VN was around last year, I can't believe that when I picked this VN up again it has finished? I just have so many words to say now that I binged everything in 12 hours.
First of all, this is one of my FAVOURITE VN's of all time! I love the story, I love how fleshed out the characters are, I love how the plot is not rushed at all. Everything felt organic. Tonrak is such a sweetheart. I've never cried nor been moved a lot in a VN before but Hearthfire is the first one that has made me bawl my eyes out but also laugh at some moments in the story.
I love your work. I'm looking forward to more projects!!!
I just finished this after following it for quite some time. This was one of the most satisfying reads I've had in a while. Without spoiling anything, the near end was bittersweet and got me tearing up. T_T The writing was chef's kiss. Very few VN relationships have me rooting for them as much as these two. The character development was something I haven't seen in many VNs on here. The love interest's personality shined through to me. He was a rare type of person that you genuinely wish nothing but the best for. It had some tropes without being annoying, more like just a sprinkling to add some spice to the side characters. The fact that this is a finished VN alone makes it a HUGE accomplishment in my eyes.
Do I recommend? Yes, a thousand times yes. This is a 10/10 must read. The only thing that bums me out is its not a super long read, like 10ish hours but it honestly works regardless because by the end you feel for a lot of the characters. (I don't usually advocate this but the author has a pateron if you want to support their future projects. Do so if you're able and/or RATE the VN!)
It's over. It's a miracle.
I am crying cuz it's finished😭 i love the story very much, the struggles they've been trough, the moments they shared, man... This is probably one of my favorite fvn of all time. 10/10 would recommend:)
Very curious is there kuak route in the game?
Screaming and flipping tables now that it's over. This is why I read furry vn's, I can never find depth like this in other mediums.
This was an absolute awesome vn. I really enjoyed it. Thanks :)
I apologize in advanced for this extremely long comment. I also apologize if it is a bit scattered. I only just finished reading maybe 15 minutes ago, and I'm still reeling. I have a lot of thoughts, and writing them down always helps me get through them. I want to first congratulate you on completing this visual novel. It is a feat to be proud of, and I am so happy that I got the chance to read your work. In all honesty, I feel a weird sense of regret with reading it. It was such a fantastic story, and I struggle to imagine getting over it any time soon. I enjoyed it so much that I feel almost hollow now that it is over. I know this will pass with time, however.
I first found this VN when the penultimate update was released to the public. I decided to hold off on reading it until it was completed. To that end, I started reading four days ago. Now that I have completed the story, I find myself regretting not taking more time to savor it. I spent about nine hours reading through. I still need to go back to try the other choices at some point, but I think I will give it a few days to settle. I really loved the way choices were handled. I think my favorite scene of the entire VN was when Chris woke up being cuddled by Tonraq in the cave. Having the choice to wiggle out because both should be in on that decision was really cool. Consent is sexy, and I really appreciated that choice. I ended up completely passing on sex scenes for this read through. I am always much more interested in the romantic buildup, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. And my god, what a buildup it was.
I'm gonna bold the topic of each of the following paragraphs. I wanna give as thorough of feedback as possible, but don't worry, it is all positive :3
Relationship
I have read a lot of furry visual novels in the last couple years. I won't try to rank Hearthfire compared to any other, because I feel that diminishes the value of each unique story. That said, I think the progression of the relationship between Chris and Tonraq might be the best I've ever read. The pace felt perfect, and the little moments where Tonraq started to open up a bit followed by retreating into his shell were really well done. The way the reader could feel him start to open up with each passing scene was really touching. I found myself really concerned with how the story would go due to reading some comments of people crying. I tend to do really bad with bittersweet endings, so I was worried something would go wrong for the duo. I am so happy I gave it a chance and kept reading. My only wish is that we'd gotten to see a little more of their relationship after declaring their love. Maybe in the summer episode?
Side Characters
God the side characters are good. All the different personalities were balanced really well, and they all played nicely off each other. I loved the other relationships in this VN almost as much as the main one. Yuka and Phillip's relationship was really fun to read from an observer's perspective. It was fun to watch Yuka's pissy personality melt away whenever Phillip was near. It was also so heartwarming to see Yuka open up to Chris as the story progressed. The other pair of Hallie and Lily was a surprise. It's rare to see much in the way of sapphic romance in this space, so it was cool to see the start of theirs. Once again, really hope to see more of them in the summer episode. Hallie's personality was a touch overbearing for my tastes, but I think she was such a wonderful part of the story.
It would be a mistake to not at least mention the rest of the side cast. I find myself torn on Darryl. One of my exes was very similar to Darryl, and I found myself jumping firmly into the hate camp for him very early. I definitely struggle to let that go a bit, but I am so happy he had a redemption. My only wish is that he got a tiny bit more screen time at the end. The scene at the diner was really fun, but I find myself craving a bit more of their friendship. Finally, I'll talk about both Kuak and Panuk. I'm definitely still not the biggest fan of Kuak, but I was very happy that he saw some kind of reason towards the end. Owning up for your own shitty mistakes is a big step, and I'm glad he sought to explain rather than excuse his actions. For Panuk, I don't have too much to say. I loved him. I always love the sagely grandpa type that helps set the rest of the cast straight, even in the background. OH! I almost forgot about Tonraq's mom. I could feel his love for her throughout the entire story, and the scene at the end of visiting her grave was so touching. Side note, I'm guessing the fresh flowers were from Kuak.
Writing and Art
I actually don't have too much to say here. Everything was tight. There were very few if any moments where I felt the writing or art was out of place or off. Everything tied together very well. I think the thing that surprised me the most was the style of comedy. I rarely see a more dry style of humor, so it was refreshing to read how Tonraq joked around with Chris. The tense moments were also done really well. The scene towards the end of their trip to meet Darryl was so freaking good. The action on the lake was top notch, and the payoff of their confession after added much needed levity. As for the art, I just wish there was a gallery or the CGs were posted on their own somewhere. There were quite a few that I would love to use as a wallpaper. I might end up having to go back through on my computer at some point and screenshot my favorites (which were most of them). I think my absolute favorite was either the surprise kiss in the shower or the one with the northern lights. The kiss because my god it was cute and the northern lights for the emotional impact of it.
I think I will leave this massive comment here. I definitely have more to say, but I feel I've overstayed my welcome a tad bit lol. The lull until I find the next story to read is gonna be rough after this one. Once again, thank you for such a wonderful story. It is one I won't soon forget. Truly an 11/10 experience!
bro this has me crying so hard a 5:40 am
I remember finding out about this game when the first build came out, and how I easily fell in love with the characters. It has been a pleasure to follow every single update, looking forward to each one every time! I can’t believe how long it’s been too. The story is so beautiful; The premise is simple yet pulled off so well, the characters AND the character developments are amazing, and it’s overall just written very well (I love the writing so much omg). I’m sad it’s over, and I’m gonna miss the two cuties Chris and Tonraq, but the ending was very satisfying.
Seriously, Congrats on finishing your game! It’s something not many others have done 😂 You guys are a great team and I can’t wait to see what else you create! Thank you for creating this VN!
It is sad that it ended, but it was such a beautiful ending. After all that happened they deserved that happiness.
Thank you so much for bringing this to us, I am looking for future histories and epilogues, but for now know that this has bringed happiness to us that read it through.
I wish you as much love as those two have felt.
Beautiful, I finished it and i cried of joy 😍🥰
你好,作者大大,关于额外的故事——炉火传说,是否在更新完最后一展之后放出呢?我十分的想知道。
Here we go the final chapter ❤️ thanks for the hard work boss
Can I ask why Chris call Yuka "Puke-a" in ch13 ?
It's a play on words with the name "Yuka" and "puke." It's making fun of him for barfing in an earlier chapter, essentially.
Thanks for answer me.
Btw, the chinese version still follow the public version published, from 0.1.2 to 0.11.1, because 0.12.1 due our problem, so we didn't published it.
It's a dialogue choice. Click on it.
the text to speech option seems to randomly quit working at times along with the auto forward option at the same time
other than those random issues the vn is a great romace story and im a bit sad now that its finished
The writing and story in this game are beautiful. It gave me both moments of giddy excitement and complete and utter emotional devastation. Much of the pain and trauma held by the two main characters is accurately observed and resonated with me on a personal level. Also huge props for having a big bellied love interest with emotional depth. Very much looking forward to the final chapter.
My feelings... ;w;
If I delete the old version of this game? My load games are gone?
It shouldn't. Ren'py stores save files in another place, at least on PC.
Man, it's gratifying to hear that you've managed to stick around since the start! It's pretty cool to know you've been around to see the story progress.
And, don't worry! I'll continue to dole out emotional trauma in the future~
first off, damn this is a beautiful story! I haven't been able to stop since I downloaded it yesterday. the story has had me enthralled to say the least, the characters and their development throughout the story has had me more giddy than a school kid with his first crush lol. but I am honestly afraid of finishing it now I feel I'm close to the ending haha, I don't want to say goodbye to tonraq or to anyone else, I feel the mc has made some very special connections with all the characters and its breaking my heart that the mc still wants to go back home. I can only hope for a happy ending for Chris and Ton but I guess I'll have to finish to find out
He had to go back home. He still has college, plus he is an American who accidentally crossed into Canada. It did not want him to leave Tonraq, but I knew that Chris had to go back home and deal with college, Darryl, and his parents. Maybe he and Darryl will reconcile and be together, or maybe after he finishes college, Chris can work on the process of immigrating to Canada to be with Tonraq, or maybe Chris can help Tonraq with immigration in United States.
Im bawling my eyes out bro uggghhh..
Im an avid reader, be it books or vns. this ones is the only ending I've read to date that had me crying. bro why I cant!!..
Aw, man, that's quite a compliment!
That my writing is able to emotionally move people is about the highest praise I can imagine.
LOVE THIS, made me cry! So beautiful, keep up the wonderful work. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter. <3
this is p e r f e c t!
i just created this account to mention that
(sorry for my bad english)
UGHHHHHHHH MY GOD THIS WRITING KILLS ME WITH HOW FUCKING BEAUTIFUL IT IS.
I seriously can’t lmao, this ending is getting so sad but I can’t be mad at it like I want to be because it’s just that good. I’m not ready for this last update, but I also am at the same time because I know it’s going to be much better than expected as always ;3;
Phew, you're gonna make a guy blush with those screaming compliments~
I can't stop crying
Just like that? I feel hollow T_T
What a beautiful continuation, I'm excited for the next chapter!
Happy Chinese New Year~~
Has been past a year, In this year, If we get the update on game, we start the translate, Want to give players the way to enjoy the game.
In future, We still try our best to translate the game into Chinese for everyone. Hoping the game will be better and better, and thank you again for gving us this opportunity let us to translate the game.
Sorry for use response area to give you this message. I can't use twitter to dm you.
Happy Lunar New Year :v
I'm loving the story. I'm really looking forward to see how it ends!
When I click the link of 0.12 version it came back to 0.11.1 :<
Is the patch 0.12 already release and how can I download it?
Not yet, it's only up for Patrons to preview for now.
When is the release date of that version? Wanna know so badly
We need more folks in VNs like Tonraq, I swear. Once you get past that first outer shell of ice, everything else just slowly melts away the more time you spend with him. I love him so much.
Can't wait to see where we go after this!