Hillthorn

The concept

A detective is hired to find a missing person, Olivia, who went hiking near Mount Hillthorn with her partner Jeremiah (GameSpew, Gaming-Village). The village at the foot of the mountain distrusts outsiders. Everything happens on a table covered in cards: places, objects, people, and even the villagers’ thoughts and reactions. There is no dialogue and no cutscene (Steam page).

An investigation played with cards

You place an action card, “Investigate”, “Talk” or “Explore”, then one or more clue cards to trigger an event, which hands you new cards (GameSpew). Loot Level Chill gives an example: talking to a child in front of his mother earns you an “angry look” card. Gaming-Village praises the mouse controls, which feel more direct than the menus of other investigation games. Even the main menu is played with cards and doubles as a tutorial (Pizza Fria, Gaming-Village).

A time loop

Every action costs time. At midnight, the detective passes out and the day starts over. You keep your knowledge, such as codes you have found, but lose your items (GameSpew, Loot Level Chill). Some events only happen at set times, such as the 6 pm church service (GameSpew). This is the most divisive element: Loot Level Chill finds the time pressure too oppressive and collecting the same items again frustrating, GameSpew finds it tiresome at times, and Pizza Fria feels the time limit could have been used better.

Length and multiple endings

A first ending can be reached in a couple of hours, but the game has several endings and routes, which encourages replays (GameSpew, Steam). When one lead stalls, there is almost always another one to follow, according to GameSpew.

What critics say

GameSpew (8/10) calls it an innovative, engaging detective adventure while warning that the format won’t suit everyone. Pizza Fria (8.1/10) praises the narrative and dark atmosphere but finds exploration and puzzles weaker than the card system. Loot Level Chill (7/10) enjoys its creativity and style but finds the time loop more frustrating than fun. Gaming-Village recommends it, without a numeric score, for its card system, while noting a fairly classic mystery plot.

Art direction

Black and white illustrations and backgrounds that change with each location create an unsettling mood, helped by the ambient sound (Loot Level Chill, Pizza Fria). On Steam the game is fully translated and voiced in French. The Steam page states that it uses no generative AI.

Availability and price

On Steam the game costs €14.99. On November 11, 2026, a launch deal brought it down to €13.49 until November 17. Green Man Gaming sold a Steam key for €11.33. On mobile it cost €9.99 on the App Store and €9.49 on Google Play. The Nintendo Switch version launched the same day; its European eShop price could not be checked.

Who is it for?

Hillthorn is for fans of investigation and deduction games who enjoy piecing a story together from images. Players who dislike repeating the same actions on every loop may tire of it.