- Experience a first taste of The Hearth & Harbour in its early demo, out now! - 8 October 2026
It’s finally here: Saltstone Studios welcomes you to try a first taste of The Hearth & Harbour!To celebrate the start of LudoNarraCon (October 8–15), an early demo of the game is now available to all players.This short experience introduces you to the world of The Hearth & Harbour by laying the groundwork for its story, establishing the setting of Lewthport, and acquainting you with some of its lively townspeople. Before you step ashore - a few demo tipsOur demo is an early slice, so here are a few handy things to know before you start:Can't hear anything? On some systems the game may launch with the sound levels set to 0 instead of 10. If the audio seems off, check the game's settings and adjust the levels.Lost your way? Open the quest log (Q key / Right Trigger) and you'll also see a quest marker pointing you towards your main objective.Stumbled into the Perks Menu? Clicking Kit's por…
- The Music of The Hearth & Harbour - 2 October 2026
Today we have James, the game director, composer and sound designer for The Hearth and Harbour, is here to talk to you about his approach to creating music for games. Take it away, James!James:We start with an idea. For me that begins, more often than not, at the piano. I want to tease out the mood and feeling of a scene or a moment. Try and soundtrack how I already feel about it.Sometimes that calls for huge sweeping moments of over the top bombast! And other times, it’s a small, gentle, subtle affair.How do we know which?Research and experience. Experience comes from doing it lots of times and asking a lot of questions of your peers. I always loved that Brian Eno doesn’t believe in ‘genius’ and instead explains that a ‘sceneius’ is a better term. It is representative of a town or city’s ‘scene’ and doesn’t discount the shoulders of peers and mentors that every artist stands on.Researc…
- Saltstone Studios Extended Developer Interview! - 18 September 2026
For Story-Rich Showcase a while back, Fellow Traveller asked us a few questions about The Hearth & Harbour! For a little bit of context about the upcoming blog post, I decided the easiest way for us to respond was to record ourselves discussing the questions, and then transcript them. Reader, this was not the easiest way. James and Thomas in particular (we knew this already) are enormous chatterboxes, and the final recording was about an hour long, or 18 A4 google docs pages. We managed to cut it down to about 8 pages, and Fellow Traveller cut it down even more to be reasonable for any person to read.That shorter interview can be found here:BUT, if you’re a weirdo and you love to read long things, I thought it could be fun to share the 8 page version here on this blog. It’s about a 20-30 minute read, so make a nice drink and get comfy before you get stuck in.The video recording of us di…
- Deep Dive - Player Character Design - 4 September 2026
Previously, I posted a cheeky little video about our player character, Kit Purcell, being hot. I asked if there was interest in a deep dive into their character design and one person said yes, so here we are!Early in the design of The Hearth and Harbour, it was decided that we wanted players to be able to explore the city. The best way to create a sense of place and immerse players in that place, was to let them mosey around and interact with it at their own pace. For this, we needed a controllable character. For that, we needed a character design.Our previous game, The Pale Beyond, had a player character-ish. Players take on the role of Robin Shaw, but we never see Robin or what they look like. They were faceless, genderless – we deliberately obscured their portrait in the crew manifest so that players could project themselves into the character. Once the game came out, this created a…
- Designing a City’s Worth of Characters - 21 August 2026
I’m Katie, character and prop artist \ at Saltstone Studios.Creating The Hearth and Harbour has pitted our team against one of game dev’s many challenges: how to create a city that feels alive and real. Moreso, how do we do this with a tiny team? Our game is set in a fictional city and for it to feel believable, we need a cast of characters that are distinct, purposeful and connected without exceeding the limits of our time and resources.Big cast. Lively City. Small team. How do we do this wtf????Some of the first early character sketches by Katie Noble, figuring out what the average citizen of Lewthport may look like1: So… How many characters is ‘enough’?We must balance scale and feasibility. Too few characters = empty barren cityToo many characters = unmanageable developmentOur solution is perceived density as opposed to raw quantity! Not every citizen we see needs equally deep storyl…
- Paper Prototypes - 7 August 2026
Ethan, our environment artist, is here to talk to you about the time he made a paper prototype to help design the game loop before the game existed in-engine. Take it away, Ethan…Ethan:If I’m making a video game, why on Earth did I make a board game? Good question! I’m Ethan, environment artist, but also game designer for ‘The Pale Beyond’ and ‘The Hearth & Harbour’. I started out small with game design, making my own tabletop and card games with my friends. As an artist first, I was just excited to draw cool stuff that could become a game with little more than a printer and a table to play on. I’ve actually been making games like this for years as passion projects and game jams and I found many, many dos and don’ts along the way. Early on in production for The Hearth & Harbour, I suggested we could make a paper prototype -a board game version of our game’s restaurant gameplay, just to…
- The Hearth & Harbour in the Cozy Job Simulators Sale! - 15 June 2026
We're pleased to let you know that The Hearth & Harbour is featured in the Cozy Job Simulators Sale! Featuring games about running shops and serving food to fishing, farming, cleaning, crafting, and restocking, there's plenty of titles both released and upcoming for you to explore.With The Hearth & Harbour set with the backdrop of an oncoming war, it's a little different kind of cozy - dark cozy, anyone? Nonetheless, you'll still get to cook up delicious food and meet your community as you shop, serve and pay the bills.Don't forget to wishlist The Hearth & Harbour to keep up to date with the latest news:
- An interview with Saltstone Studios about The Hearth & Harbour - 11 June 2026
The tables are set, the stove is roaring, and service is about to begin! Your seat at The Silver Spoon awaits you in The Hearth & Harbour, the upcoming story-driven management RPG from Saltstone Studios, the developers behind The Pale Beyond.In case you missed it, the team recently presented a closer look at the game during The Story Rich Showcase with an updated video here. We had the chance to speak with James Bruce (Creative Direction, Audio Direction & Original Score Composition), Jessica Campbell (Artistic Direction, Additional Animation & Character Artwork), and Thomas Hislop (Production Support, Programming, UX Development & Additional Narrative Design) to dish up even more details about the upcoming game.Fellow Traveller: Hey Saltstone Studios, it’s great to have you all with us! Firstly, can you tell us how the idea for The Hearth & Harbour came together?Thomas: Our first game,…
- The Hearth & Harbour Takes Part in the Story Rich Showcase! - 6 June 2026
Clear the table and set everyone's places, because we've got some exciting news from the Story Rich Showcase! First and foremost, we announced that the game would be arriving in 2026 - that's right - this year!Watch the dev update for the latest on The Hearth & Harbour as we explore the town of Lewthport and the community within:You are an immigrant, Kit Purcell, seeking for a new life in Lewthport by starting your own restaurant. Every month you'll have to pay the rent, but with good food and good company, you'll be able to create a restaurant beloved by the community.Each morning you'll go shopping for ingredients, and meet some of the townsfolk - stock up for the dishes you want to prepare for the day. You might even do a little exploring within the town, while you're at it!With your trusty chef Cyril by your side, you'll be able to create delicious dishes and cater to your customers…
- The Hearth & Harbour in the Fellow Traveller Publisher Sale! - 18 April 2026
Gosh, is it that time of year already? Welcome to Fellow Traveller's annual Publisher Sale! If you're keen for a story rich title, we've got you covered. New releases! Beloved classics! Steam Deck games! Killer tunes! Discounts up to 90%! It is party time central over here, and we'd love for you to join us.Be sure to wishlist The Hearth & Harbour if you haven't already, and take a look at the many awesome games available.If you haven't seen our previous game, The Pale Beyond is available for 80% off so be sure to check it out!
- Visit Us At London Games Festival! - 13 April 2026
If you're in London, come and visit us at London Games Fest! We're part of the official selection for this year, and you'll be able to catch up with the team and have a look at The Hearth & Harbour in progress, along with many other awesome games!You'll be able to visit from Thursday 16 - Friday 17 April, 10am - 6pm. London Games Festival takes place at Exhibition White City, Ariel Way. You can find us with the other official selection games in the centre of the hall.If you can't make it to London, don't worry! We're also participating in the London Games Fest Steam Event, which starts today! Make sure to wishlist so that you can keep up to date on what's happening with the game.
- 🌸The Pale Beyond 80% Off During Steam Spring Sale!🌸 - 19 March 2026
The Pale Beyond is 80% as part of the Steam Spring Sale! Journey into the pale beyond as you sail your ship, the Temperance, into The Pale Passage to uncover what happened to her sister ship, the Viscount. You'll need to rely on your crew and make tough decisions if you hope to survive. And don't forget to check out Saltstone's upcoming title, The Hearth & Harbour. Make sure to wishlist to keep up to date. If you're already played The Pale Beyond, don't forget to leave a review - it really helps!
- ☘️Happy St. Patrick's Day From The Hearth & Harbour!☘️ - 17 March 2026
Dia dhuit! Happy St. Patrick's Day ☘️ from us all. We're really excited to let you know that we're taking part in the Games from Ireland event! The Hearth & Harbour is featured, while The Pale Beyond, our previous game set in the same universe, is on sale!If you've already wishlisted The Hearth & Harbour (and thanks very much if you have!), why not pick up The Pale Beyond while you're waiting?
- The Hearth & Harbour in Clemmy's Spring Showcase 2026! - 3 March 2026
We're pleased to announce that The Hearth & Harbour has been selected as part of Clemmy's Best Indie Games Spring Showcase for 2026!Check out the whole showcase of cool upcoming indie games (including ours!) right here.And if you haven't already, don't forget to wishlist the game below!
- Hearth & Harbour Developer Interview! - 3 March 2026
On Saltstone's first day back to work this year, Jess sat down with James, the game director, and Ethan, the game designer, and asked them a series of questions about the design of The Hearth and Harbour. It was a bit chaotic, but between the two of them, they were able to provide some insight into game development as a process, as well as their personal philosophies on art and the themes in our games so far.Please enjoy this fairly lofi office recording of two devs having a nice chat. Maybe listen to it like a podcast if that's your cup of tea!Relevant characters: Jess - interviewer, art directorJames - sound designer and composer, game directorEthan - environment artist, game designerThomas - development director, interview peanut galleryYou can also find a text transcript of the full interview here if you like!We hope you enjoy the interview, and look forward to sharing more about Th…
- The Hearth & Harbour Is Participating in the Global Foodie Faire! - 17 February 2026
We're excited to announce that The Hearth & Harbour is participating in Raw Fury's Global Foodie Faire! Check out loads of food, cooking and restaurant themed games, including our very own management RPG! There's plenty of bargains to be had, too!And if you haven't already, be sure to wishlist The Hearth & Harbour!
- The Pale Beyond Physical Edition for Nintendo Switch Now Available! - 8 October 2025
Attention Captains, the ice is calling!The Pale Beyond physical is now available on Nintendo Switch from our friends at Super Rare Games!Click here to get your copy!Each purchase includes the following items:Fully assembled Nintendo Switch game with cartridgeInterior artFull-colour manualExclusive stickerSet of 3 card trading card packPlease note that all products are region free and can be played on any Nintendo SwitchLimited to 3,000 copies, so order today to avoid disappointment.
- The Hearth & Harbour Is Part of the Fellow Traveller Publisher Sale! - 15 September 2025
Gosh, is it that time of year already? Welcome to Fellow Traveller's annual Publisher Sale! If you're keen for a story rich title, we've got you covered. New releases! Beloved classics! Steam Deck games! Killer tunes! Discounts up to 90%! It is party time central over here, and we'd love for you to join us.The Pale Beyond, Saltstone Studios' previous title, is at its highest discount to date at 80% off, to celebrate our announcement of The Hearth & Harbour. Make sure you wishlist The Hearth & Harbour so you keep up-to-date on all the upcoming news, we're really excited for this one!
- Finally, someone's making an RPG about managing your own restaurant - 11 September 2025
Nine years ago I heard the hosts of videogame podcast Daft Souls describe a perfect game that didn't exist, a management RPG that was a kind of Stardew Valley but for restaurants where you'd hire staff and cook meals and choose the furniture and maybe romance someone on the side. It's taken almost a decade but that idle dream of a game is about to be made real... Read more.
- Announcing The Hearth & Harbour, a restaurant management RPG - 10 September 2025
Hey regulars, we’ve got something special cooking! Today we’re thrilled to share that Saltstone Studios, the team behind The Pale Beyond, is back with a brand new game for PC, The Hearth & Harbour. The Hearth & Harbour is an adventure management RPG set in the same world and time as The Pale Beyond. This time, the ice has melted into salt air as you step into the seaside town of Lewthport, ready to begin a new life. Your task? Restore the rundown local restaurant, The Silver Spoon, and decide what kind of manager (and neighbor) you’ll become. At the heart of The Hearth & Harbour lies more than just recipes and renovations. As an immigrant finding your place in a tight-knit town on the brink of war, the restaurant becomes your link to the community.The Silver Spoon isn’t just where you’ll serve food, it’s where you’ll shape relationships. The menu you craft depends on the connections you…
