Hillthorn is Awesome
2026 has given us a buffet of great detective games
Raw Fury
A disappearance in a secluded community. A mountain hiding its secrets. A detective running out of time. Welcome to Hillthorn, a dark investigation game that invites you to uncover the mystery without a single word spoken, using your skills of logic and intuition through cards.
This post isn't going to be a long one. I've played a lot of games this year that send players down mysterious rabbit holes; TR-49 and The Incident at Galley House to name two of my favorites.
So with so many mystery games this year, a compelling hook is necessary. Hillthorn's hook? A great art style, for one, but the story is told entirely through cards. The cards lead you to explore, investigate, and talk to in the pursuit of finding a missing person.
Here's what I didn't get right away. I knew there was a clock happening, but silly me didn't really put it together until the clock hit midnight and all of a sudden, I found myself back to where I'd been earlier in the day. THAT was the 'Eureka' moment.
I don't believe that the game explicitly said where Mount Hillthorn is located, but it really felt Pacific Northwest-like to me. (Maybe that's just because I'm a big fan of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake, Stand By Me...)
There's no exact release date yet set for Hillthorn, but from the Steam page, looks like we'll be seeing it this November!