Hillthorn

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• Announcements·24 Sept 2026Official

  The Music of Hillthorn

  Hello detectives, We spoke to Antoine from Fool Moon Games about the music of Hillthorn. Q: How would you describe the music of Hillthorn? A: The music of Hillthorn is a mix of ambient analog synthesizers with carefully chosen acoustic instruments like tenor saxophone and female vocals. It has somewhat a vintage feel in many aspects, but also some modern effects and sounds to keep things diverse and surprising. Q: How important was the style of the music of Hillthorn? A: From very early in discussions with Alexis, the creative director, we wanted the feel of the music to be slightly old/vintage, but not fully anchored in any specific decade or timeframe. I decided to ground the main theme with some noir detective-like tenor saxophone, but garble it with effects to make it seem like a distant echo of this kind of broody investigation. Lots of vintage, grainy synthesizers (CS-80, Mellotron, etc.) were added to further enhance the dusty, dark feel of the game. Finally, we brought in singer Romy Allaire to add vocals to some key moments and songs in the game. Her creative vocalizations became the musical glue for everything cult-related, until maybe, eventually, it transforms into something else? I'll keep it at that to avoid getting into spoiler territory. Q: Music really helps set the atmosphere of the game, how did you tailor the music to the story of the game? A: Another key element that we wanted to implement in the soundtrack of the game is the player's relation to time. In Hillthorn, time can feel like it's stopped, it can feel like it's going slower, faster, or even backwards. This is something that we put extra effort to express through each track. There's one track in particular, aptly named Time Distortion, in which the different piano melodies stop answering to the same rhythm and time signature, and each go their separate way, creating progressively more chaotic sonic textures. The use of reversed reverb and reversed echo throughout the soundtrack also help...
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• Press Coverage·28 Aug 2026

  Solve a mountain mystery via the medium of creepy cards in Hillthorn, which has an excellent demo

  Attention, dusty creeps who want to play poker with the Wickerman! I found one, a videogame you might enjoy. That game is Hillthorn, a spooky investigative cardgame from Fool Moon and Finnegan Motors - the latter also known for beaming corpo thriller Inhuman Resources: A Literary Machination. Hillthorn is the story of a detective hired to investigate a disappearance at a secluded mountain community. One of the first things you do, after hassling a worryingly stained forest ranger for directions, is cross a line of salt on the trail. Seems like something a person familiar with the occult would avoid doing, but you are a Private Eye, armed with logic and cynicism. Besides, all of this is presented via the medium of cards. Who's afraid of cards? What are they going to do, give you a paper cut? Ouch! Oh, maybe don't bleed on the salt. Read more
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• Announcements·27 Aug 2026Official

  Hillthorn Release Date Window Announced

  Hello detectives, As you might have just seen during the Future Games Show we have some news! Not only can we now confirm that Hillthorn will be coming in November 2026, we can also share that alongside Steam Hillthorn will be launching on iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch. We’re so excited to share this news with you! Wishlist Hillthorn and Play the Demo Now!
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• Announcements·20 Aug 2026Official

  The Art of Hillthorn

  Hello detectives, We caught up with Tara from Fool Moon Games to talk about the art direction of Hillthorn, the inspirations and considerations when creating a game with a story told entirely through cards. Q: How would you describe the art style of Hillthorn? A: Dramatic and stark. Q: Why did you choose this art style for the game? A: Hillthorn’s narrative and gameplay are very mysterious, and I found that the lack of dialogue gave the interactions a shadowy, almost dreamlike quality. I wanted to choose an art style that would enhance that vibe. Q: What were your main inspirations for how you wanted the game to look? A: One inspiration taken from real life was Victorian portrait photography. I was also really into Robert Valley at the time - particularly his use of shadows and contrast, and his evocative character designs. Q: Was this the art style you always wanted for the game or did you try any others? A: I had a very clear vision of the style in mind from the first time I played the prototype of the game, which worked out well considering I started making art for Hillthorn as part of a game jam. Usually I’d try experimenting with more ideas, but there just wasn’t enough time! Luckily, the chosen style worked out well, and I’m happy to see how it evolved during the development of the game. Q: Do you have a favourite element of the game art that turned out exactly how you imagined it? A: I have a soft spot for Abigail, the central character in the marketing art for Hillthorn. Her old-fashioned design and the dramatic portrait lighting work well together to make her shine. Also, I love her big hat. Q: Is there concept or early artwork from the game that you would be happy to share with the community? A: Here are two examples of card art that was redone between the initial prototype and the final version. The amount of details was reduced so cards would read better. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45997770/20559c4040274a6ba94f7053002ad9aefbb05d23.jpg Q: Were there any challenge...
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• Patch Notes·19 Aug 2026Official

  Demo Update & More Languages

  Hello detectives, We have released a demo update today that includes some new content and 11 new languages! Notes Added a short cinematic in the game’s introduction. Added new effects on some cards (look out for the radio!) Added and updated sound effects. Added more notes in the Diary as you discover the folks of Hillthorn. Added a new interaction in the Inn Room New Languages Simplified Chinese German Indonesian Japanese Korean Portuguese Spanish Italian Polish Russian Spanish (LATAM) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45997770/be0b29fafc7525a5e0807e74bea62e573a749e22.jpg As text in the game is very context specific, we have created a new pinned thread in the forums for you to provide any feedback: https://steamcommunity.com/app/3504050/discussions/0/581680031271538704/ That’s it for this update! Keep an eye out, there are still more secrets to come… Wishlist Hillthorn and Play the Demo Now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3504050/_Hillthorn/
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