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Preliminary Picture
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Hillthorn

  • Compatible with Nintendo™ Switch 2 (NSW2™)
Cover 
Asian English
Version: Asia
Asia
(3 more)
Version: Europe
Europe
 Version: Japan
Japan
 Version: US
US
Works on all systems sold worldwide, a correct regional account may be required for online features.
USD 0.00

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Product Languages

Subtitles  English

Specs

Cover
English
Edition
Standard

Item Description

Hillthorn is a dark investigation adventure set in an isolated mountain community filled with winding trails, suspicious locals, dangerous wildlife, and unsettling secrets. Players take the role of an outsider detective tasked with finding a missing child, but the investigation is complicated by the community's reluctance to share information and a clock that continues to advance with every action.

Rather than using traditional dialogue, Hillthorn tells its mystery entirely through cards. Clue cards represent the people, locations, objects, and discoveries encountered during the investigation. Players can combine these cards with different actions, such as investigating, exploring, or communicating, to gradually make sense of what happened.

The investigation is built around logic and intuition. Instead of following a straightforward sequence of conversations, players must decide which clues to examine, which locations to revisit, and how different pieces of information might connect. Knowledge itself serves as progression, meaning what the detective learns can open new possibilities during the investigation.

Time management is another central mechanic. Every action consumes time, while the investigation contains more leads than can comfortably be pursued. Players therefore need to prioritize their actions and decide which clues deserve attention before the clock runs out. The game also features multiple endings, encouraging players to approach subsequent investigations differently.

Key Features

Card-Based Investigation
Every major piece of information is represented through cards. Players combine concepts, actions, clues, and characters to investigate the disappearance and gradually reconstruct what happened.

A Mystery Without Traditional Dialogue
Hillthorn tells its story without conventional spoken dialogue. Instead, players communicate with the world through clue cards and interpret the information presented through the game's investigation system.

Combine Clues and Actions
Different actions can be paired with clues to produce new information. Experimenting with combinations is essential to discovering what individual pieces of evidence mean and how they connect to the larger mystery.

Investigate the Missing Child
The central case revolves around a child's disappearance in the secluded Hillthorn community. As an outsider, the detective must work around reluctant locals while searching the mountain for answers.

Explore a Mysterious Mountain
Hillthorn is filled with winding, maze-like paths that can be difficult to navigate. Exploration reveals locations, clues, secrets, and new pieces of information that can change how the investigation unfolds.

You Are an Outsider
The detective does not belong to Hillthorn's isolated community. Local residents are reluctant to reveal information, forcing players to use their available clues intelligently to extract the information they need.

Knowledge as Progression
Progress is based on what the detective learns rather than conventional character-level systems. Discovering and understanding information can provide new ways to approach the investigation.

Time Management Investigation
The clock advances with every action, creating pressure throughout the case. Players must choose which leads to follow and which paths to revisit while balancing exploration against the limited time available.

Multiple Endings
The investigation can lead to multiple outcomes, giving players an incentive to experiment with different approaches, clues, and decisions across subsequent playthroughs.

Dark and Unsettling Atmosphere
The secluded mountain, strange community, dangerous wildlife, and mysterious disappearance create a dark investigative atmosphere with elements of horror, noir, mystery, and conspiracy.

No Generative AI
The official game information specifically states that Hillthorn is made without generative AI.

Latest Gameplay Showcase
The newest Future Games Show presentation features a dedicated Hillthorn gameplay trailer, providing a more detailed look at its card-based detective mechanics and overarching mystery.

FAQs and Guides

  • What is Hillthorn?
    Answer: Hillthorn is a dark investigation adventure in which players investigate the disappearance of a child in a secluded mountain community. Its defining mechanic is a card-based investigation system that lets players combine clues, actions, and characters instead of relying on traditional dialogue.
  • What is the story of Hillthorn?
    Answer: A child has gone missing in the isolated community of Hillthorn, and an outsider detective is tasked with finding them. The investigation leads through the mountain's winding paths and into a community that appears to be hiding important secrets.
  • How does the card system work in Hillthorn?
    Answer: Clue cards represent information discovered during the investigation. Players combine these clues with actions such as Investigate, Explore, and Talk to uncover additional information and move closer to solving the case.
  • Does Hillthorn have dialogue?
    Answer: No traditional dialogue is used. The game's story and investigation are communicated entirely through its card-based system, requiring players to interpret clues rather than simply selecting dialogue responses.
  • Who does the player control?
    Answer: The player controls an outsider detective who has been tasked with investigating the disappearance of a child in Hillthorn.
  • Why is the player considered an outsider?
    Answer: The detective is not part of Hillthorn's isolated community, and the locals are reluctant to share information with someone from outside their group. This makes extracting useful information an important part of the investigation.
  • How important is time management?
    Answer: Time is a major gameplay mechanic. The clock advances whenever the player takes an action, so there are limits to how many investigative threads can be pursued and how often players can revisit locations.
  • Can players revisit locations?
    Answer: Yes, but doing so has a cost because the clock continues to advance with every action. Players must decide whether revisiting a previously unexplored path is worth the time it consumes.
  • What does “knowledge as progression” mean?
    Answer: Instead of relying primarily on conventional progression systems, Hillthorn uses information discovered during the investigation as a form of progression. Learning more about the mountain, its residents, and the disappearance can open new investigative possibilities.
  • Does Hillthorn have puzzles?
    Answer: Yes. Its investigation system functions as a series of logic-based challenges where players must determine which clues and actions can be combined to uncover new information and advance their understanding of the case.
  • Does Hillthorn have multiple endings?
    Answer: Yes. Multiple endings are among the game's listed features, allowing different investigative approaches to produce different outcomes.
  • What should players prioritize when investigating Hillthorn?
    Answer: Players should carefully consider which clues to investigate, which actions to combine with them, and whether revisiting a location is worth the time. Since every action advances the clock, prioritizing useful leads is essential.
  • How can players solve the mystery efficiently?
    Answer: Start by examining available clue cards and testing logical combinations with different actions. Keep track of what each clue reveals, avoid spending time on unnecessary paths, and use newly acquired knowledge to determine which investigation routes are most promising.
  • Is Hillthorn a horror game?
    Answer: Hillthorn is primarily an investigation adventure, but its official descriptions and current listings emphasize a dark and unsettling atmosphere with horror and Lovecraftian elements.
  • What makes Hillthorn different from traditional detective games?
    Answer: Its biggest distinction is that the investigation unfolds without traditional dialogue. Instead, players construct the mystery themselves by combining cards representing clues, actions, characters, and locations, while simultaneously managing a constantly advancing clock.
  • What was shown in the latest Hillthorn gameplay trailer?
    Answer: The latest Future Games Show presentation showcased Hillthorn's card-based investigation gameplay and provided a closer look at the overarching mysteries players will encounter while investigating the mountain community.
  • Is Hillthorn single-player?
    Answer: Yes. Hillthorn is designed as a single-player investigation experience centered on one detective solving the mystery of the missing child.
  • What is the most unique feature of Hillthorn?
    Answer: The most distinctive feature is its wordless, card-based investigation system. Rather than reading conventional conversations, players must combine clues and actions, interpret information, manage their limited time, and use logic to piece together the mystery.

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