Ren'Py - Demons of the Hearth [v0.9 P2] [Konvel]

I was quite perplexed while trying to rate this game. On one hand, it's one of the better written VN's on this site. It starts fairly light hearted, with a lot of slice of life, but gradually becomes more intricate and darker, with bigger focus and world building, characters and story (even if sillier stuff is still present to some degree). There's intrigue, murder, assassinations (which is still technically murder, I guess), different factions with their own agendas, (almost) everyone is lying to each other or at least hiding something. Not to mention that at least two of the potential romance interests would be straight up villains in most games.

At the center of it is our MC, pushing his own agenda and balancing ties with different, sometimes rival groups in order to amass power and allies without tipping his hand too soo. All the while questioning what kind of person he really is, and how far he's willing to go. And while there is not that much meaningful choice here, other the whether you want to pursue specific girls romantically, what is there let's you make him a borderline villain as well. At times it feels like one of those long, complicated jRPGs that can completely engross you.

While writing fumbles here and there, it's still a very engaging story that will leave you waiting for the next update. So why was I debating how to rate this game? Despite how much I've enjoyed it, there's no denying that there are few faults here.

First of all, the sandbox aspect of gameplay seems rather pointless, and doesn't really provide much other then letting you choose in which order you want to follow specific plots. On the contrary, it serves mostly to break the flow of the game. That, however, might be question of personal preference, as I generally don't care much for sandboxes anyway.

Second issue is everything that makes this game fit for this website. This is possibly the least horny porn game I have ever played. Sexual content is fairly sparse, and for the most part not terribly imaginative, with few exceptions. It's not bad, per se, but it's clearly not the main focus here. Girls look nice, but they will have, at best, few of scenes as of writing of this review, and there is generally very little sexual tension outside of those segments. At times it almost feels tacked on, like it's the last thing on author's mind.

At the end of the day, whether or not you will like this game comes down to what you want to get out of it. If you are looking for something to turn you on, or have a quick wank, then there is a plethora of better options available. If you want engaging, elaborate VN with ocassional titties, then it might suit you well. Personally, I like it a lot, and I wish it got more recognition.

There are very few games with storylines as good as this one. This was the game that put visual novels on the map for me. I still havent found a better VN than this. If you want to get lost in a great story for hours, then play this game. you wont regret it

This game is absolutely underrated. It's not a H-Game but the scenes are still great, that said where this game really shines is in the story and world building department. I wasn't expecting this much content dedicated to making a believable environment, creating a solid plot and giving rather extensive backstories to some of the girls. I honestly can't wait to see how the story continues but from what I've seen so far I'm convinced that the developer will do a great job.

played a while ago but was very entertaining throughout.
interesting characters and story
good scenes
want to know more but updates as always take time
meaningful choices at times and navigation or more unique than the standard Renpy experience

So another Demon Lord game... I admit the premise didn't grab me at first, but damn this world the Dev created is so meticulously constructed it sucked me in. It starts a bit slow but once you're finally introduced to the Hearth, it takes off. That said, its a heavily story driven game so don't bother looking here for some quick faps. It really does feel more like an anime/manga than a porn game. So much so, I almost wonder if the lewds were put in just to get the game funded because I'd still play this without it. One complaint that I have- with all this wonderful exposition and intrigue, the game sometimes doesn't know if it wants to be a VN or a sandbox. All the sandbox element is doing is giving more fun character background and personality and lets you explore the Hearth; something a VN could do just as well. Still, a solid 4.5 (rounded up) and the only Demon Lord game you should bother playing.

As of right now, a hidden gem in the market.

I will be updating the review as I keep playing, but even early on, it shows incredible potential. The story latches onto you quickly, though I wish some of the exposition had more of a visual or tangible component to it, such as an image, it didn't turn me off like it can usually do. The writer has a good sense of when to stop.

In terms of plot and character, even early on, I am amazed at how well things flow together, and how natural the introductions of characters feel. The designs are tastefully done, I love Astrid's design, and the personalities are clear from their design, without being extreme or caricature-like.

The story beats flow well so far, neither too fast, nor too slow, and it keeps me engaged. The one minus, which is not the dev's fault, is that as a person who has dabbled in illusion software myself, I recognize the assets, and can even recognize a lot of the OST, but they're tastefully used and pushed about as far as they can be taken. In a future where they have their own custom art, they could create visuals that really make the game unique.

With blunt honesty, this is one of the only games on this site with a story that interests me without it being driven by my desire for h-scenes, and the characters stand out as colorful, without being overdone. All in all, tasteful, and subtle. These are characteristics that this genre as a whole lacks. I only hope that the dev can get the recognition they deserve.

A compelling storyline worth around 12-15 hours. The H-scenes and girls are alright, but the political intrigue and power struggle is the best fucking you can get out of this game. I hope the dev keeps writing it as good as it is. As it stands, this is definitely something to keep an eye out for.

Came for the fap (giggity), stayed for the political intrigue and interlocking interests. It's a bit surprising all things considered, but the world building, plot and characters are pretty great. And have I mentioned the political factionalism? Cause I love the political factionalism.

Interesting characters, quality visuals, a very intriguing premise, all these factors combined really make 'Demons of the Hearth' quite a solid AVN, in my opinion. While the sandbox grind can get a tad monotonous at times, the surplus of content that the game has currently more than makes up for the little extra time spent grinding. Not to mention, the superb writing and amusing character interactions that really help in bringing depth and a sense of uniqueness to the story.

All in all, I would definitely recommend the game if you have a preference for story over sex (most of the scenes aren't very long or all that great really) because where the game does especially shine, is when it comes to its compelling plot and premise more so than anything else.

DISCLAIMER: Review was written for version 0.5.1 - At time of writing, I am a supporter of this project.
As is standard for me, the review is going to be pretty long, as I feel it would do an injustice to call a handful of sentences a review, as they are too complex to condense this much information. Reader discretion is advised. But for those who want a quick verdict to base their idea around...

The TL;DR: This game is very well worth your time and might even be worth your support as it stands. To me, this game sets the bar for writing believeable characters that keep you completely spellbound and packs it up in a story that is layered with shades of gray and constantly keeps you thinking about it, even after you have played it. If you look for something with a truly compelling story and characters that actually feel human, then you'll not be disappointed and can expect to invest several hours of characters pitted against each other.

So, Demons of the Hearth. The game caught me by surprise and hasn't left me since. I had a bone to pick with it since I first played it over a year ago (at the time of writing) and it kept pulling me back into its grasp. At first I couldn't exactly pinpoint what exactly my "issue" was, but upon replaying I came to understand that the characters here feel so well written that they kept occupying my thoughts even after playing it, which is something I wouldn't expect an adult game to accomplish. If you are just looking for a quick fap, then you want to look in another direction, but if you want to have actually well-written characters to ponder over, I'll gladly take your coat. But to fully understand that we need to dissect this in smaller chunks, starting out with the Story and writing:

It is probably the biggest selling point to anyone who wishes to have their thoughts challenged. While the premise on the outset is nothing spectacular - with you slipping into the role of a demon lord, now in human form - it's everything that follows this premise that makes it so worthwhile. You'll quickly come to learn that there is a whole lot more at play than what the premise sets out, with factions following their very own agendas that do not necessarily align with any of the other players attending the hearth and paths intersecting in ways that make you question their specific intentions at every crossing, sometimes even with shifts that you may not have seen coming, yet the game hinted at when replaying. This shows some very well thought-out and clever writing across the board.

But those factions are also containing characters that you can interact with, so we should talk about those for a bit:

They are really well written - simple as that. Not only do they all have their own set of beliefs and morals, but they also act on those. Variety truely is the name of the game here and you'll have plenty of time to actually learn about them as people, not just as receptables for your fun bits. Not just that, but their beliefs are actually challenged, not just due to the interaction with the MC, but also because of interactions between each other - after all, each character came to the hearth for their own purposes and to follow their own agenda, those obviously do not have to align with the protagonists'. These characters don't exist solely for the reason for the MC to woo them, but their interactions between each other make them so believeable, moreso than most games I have encountered to this day. It's probably the biggest selling point to the game and some of the best written and most believeable character developments I have come across.

But both story and characters are for nerds, and we're here for the gameplay:

it is quite the typical sandbox arrangement of vising locations to interact with characters or visiting locations to move forward in the story. There's not a whole lot one needs to manage and nothing to pressure you. To me this is always a huge plus, as I hate missing something because of an arbitrary deadline or goal that wasn't made clear enough, yet the sandbox-y nature of the game does nothing to get in your way or to be overly obtuce. You're free to explore at your own pace and can also stumble upon extra events tangentally related to the story that can quickly shine light of some of the side aspects of the world and the characters. With no need to manage any resources, you are free to explore the characters and their events, while the story can be triggered in specific moments by you.

And a story needs to be seen. After all, it's "show, don't tell", so let us talk visuals:

Again, more praise to dish out, it's all quite well put together. You'll see many different places and faces and nothing feels absurdly out of place at any given moment. Despite there being assets you may have seen somewhere already, it is all nicely put into place and it's being worked in quite well. The interface is minimalistic, but that goes in the games favor, as there is nothing that would need to be kept track off. Instead, you have a journal that you can open up to tell at a glance what you'd need to do to advance a character or the story, even telling you if there's side events you can trigger, but only if you ask it to. On the note of visuals, one needs to be aware that there is violence on display and the game does not shy away from showing you that. This can be a point of avoidance for some, but I have personally not found it too weird, not to mention, even the other characters react appropriately to it. It's not just for the player to wonder why this needs to be seen.

But with the talk about the visuals, we might also want to tackle the sexual content:

What is out there is really damn good. The animations are well done and they feel fluent and natural. This is an important factor for adult scenes in any game, as nothing is more of a turnoff than characters whos animations feel stiff and wooden. The content itself is - for the most part - well paced out in terms of both the story and characters. While I could see some argue that the amount of sexual content is sparse compared to other titles available, I feel what is in the game to be perfectly adequate. After all, the story is the focal point of the game and overly massive boinking at every other opportunity would at some point just start to get in the way of that.

Well, with all of that, I still have to touch up on one point that I rarely ever bring up and that one is the music the game uses:

This is a topic I don't generally talk about for a simple reason - more often than not it is just painfully generic. So me talking about it could mean it's either horrible or exceptional. In this case, it is clearly the latter. Not only is each character associated with a specific soundtrack, but basically all scenes are using underlying music to convey the atmosphere or tone of the given event. The choices selected by the developer are all just exceptional. Not a single track feels out of place and I have actually come around to listen to some of the tracks the game uses even when not playing the game. That should give you an indication of how well thought out this is.

So, where does this leave us? Basically at the end of the review. I can safely say that this is one of the few games where I can actively say that I am glad to have played and that I can barely wait to see what will come next. This is one of those moments where I am fully confident in rating the game 5 stars simply because I can't exactly find any faults with it that were major sticklers.
To anyone that made it this far - thank you for your time reading this overly long piece of a review.

One line review: more story than porn, but not bad porn when it's porn

This is a dense story with extremely well-written character subplots. Each of the characters (even the ones you can't pursue sexually) have a distinct personality. It's a Ren'Py game so the "gameplay" isn't anything particularly noteworthy but that also means there are no confounding minigames that throw you out of the story. My only complaint would be that (as of 0.4.5) there doesn't seem to be a lot of variety of scenes for individual girls.

This has so much potential. I love the setting and the characters. I'd recommend this even if there was no sex scenes to be honest, it really surprised me.
I just hope this gets the attention it deserves and actually gets finished.

Had a blast playing this. It's major strength is the writing, there's a fascinating and original plot with intertwining elements, intriguing mysteries and a very engaging cast of characters. I've played several hundred of the games featured on F95 and the writing here makes my top 3 for sure. I can't wait to see how things play out.

Other stuff worth mentioning:

Not everyone likes koikatsu models but I do so there's no issue there for me. The dev has made sure to provide plenty of variety.

Sex scenes aren't great, they're alright but pretty short and cookie cutter. Like I said though, the actual story is so interesting I prefer it to the sex anyway.

I'm very impressed with the amount of content too considering that the game hasn't been out very long.

Conclusion:

All in all a very impressive game well worth your time if you like plot with your plot.

This game is really good.

In terms of novels, it goes a bit slow, especially if you care about quick and easy sex.

On the flip side, the game has a lot of interesting story and you have all the information you need at any point of time - meaning its easy to go further in the story or become friends with different characters in the game.

In many ways, the setting is traditional - you have amnesia, yada yada.
There is another person trapped inside your body, but they are really powerful, yada yada.
The nice thing is that you are attempting regicide, despite the fact that you don't remember anything. And commiting regicide to end racial discrimination is a pretty based concept.

The sex scenes are decent - but what really stands out, is the length and depth of the dialogue. If you have a little more time than just a naked tiddy, I heavily suggest giving it a spin. There is already a lot of stuff in the game.

Not a lot of VNs keep me hooked and interested as this one did. Certainly a good one for anyone looking for a VN to keep an eye on. The girls all look good and are very distinct from one another, which is also a major plus.

A solid game overall with quite likeable characters and tows the line between cliche and unique. There is a small grind factor but it's hardly painful just slightly tedious, and it's my only standing complaint. This seems to be part of a growing trend of games focusing more on the story and interpersonal connections rather than just the blatant sex. Currently this one and Greener Pastures stand as my favorite smaller underdog games in development.

Renders are good
Game is to much grind : to gain progess in the story of a girl you somtimes need to proges with another girl
I gave up because it takes to long to really unlock any non talking scenes

This game really is unique and though the scenes are scarce, it is good enough just for the stories itself. I love how each characters events ties one another and not just consist of a single character alone. And the characters all have unique personalities which makes them more alive rather than being bland. Looking forward for future updates for sure.

Great game, really. A bit sparse on the sexy times (actually, don't play this with sexy time as focus), but it has some of the best writing I have come across in any media. And I don't say that mildly. Many of the characters are multi-faceted, the plot is SICK!, character designs are awesome and I spent entire days fully immersed in it.

Totally deserving of all five stars. Gonna be looking forward to this one.

This is an interesting game, but one I find hard to rate. On the one hand, it is better written than the vast majority of games on this site. The characters are all unique and have actual personalities and motivations that don't just revolve around having sex with the MC. The setting feels like the dev cares about putting some more thought into it than just having a vague location for the game to take place in, and what we've seen of the world so far seems fairly interesting. The story is promising as well, involving all sorts of intrigue and power struggles in which there is hardly one single easily defined good or bad guy, and most sides are represented by and explored through one of the characters. It's not perfect, but I enjoyed it and kept reading for hours despite my next point.
The major flaw which a previous review already mentioned is that the eroticism in this game is really not very good at all. Scenes are very short and very simple, and lack any real build up or relevance to the characters and story that would make you care much. The characters' personalities also don't really shine through very well either, with all characters engaging in pretty much the same sex acts. It feels more like you're reading a manga and then decide to take a break and look up a porn webm of one of the characters before continuing reading.
So should I rate it highly because I found it an enjoyable read or poorly because this is a website for erotic games and this one is hardly to be recommended in that category? I decided on the former, but YMMV. In the end, this isn't the game for you if you're looking for a quick fap, but if you aren't in it purely for the lewds, I'd definitely recommend it.