HearthWood Tavern [v0.5] [hearthwoodtavern]

June 28, 2025F95

Welcome to Hearthwood Tavern, a character-driven fantasy tavern management game where the heart of your business isn’t just the drinks—it’s the people.
As Nathanael, the new owner of a once-forgotten establishment, your task is not only to rebuild the tavern but also to rekindle its lost legacy by forging deep connections with the unique individuals who walk through its doors.

From mischievous alchemists and wandering adventurers to soft-spoken clerics and streetwise rogues, every interaction shapes your journey. Will you build strong friendships, create unlikely partnerships, or maybe even spark a bit of romance?
But reviving the Heartwood Tavern is no easy feat. You’ll need to listen to the stories of the people, gain their trust, and uncover the hidden history of the tavern itself. With each bond you strengthen and each choice you make, the Hearthwood will transform—not just into a place of business, but into a home for legends, laughter, and lifelong companions.

Will you restore the tavern to its former glory, or create something entirely new? The fate of Hearthwood is in your hands.

Thread Updated: 2025-06-28

Release Date: 2025-06-05

Developer: hearthwoodtavern Itch.io

Censored: No

Version: 0.5

OS: Windows, Linux, Andoid

Language: English

Genre:

Ai cg, 2dcg, Fantasy, Adventure,Male protagonist, Manangment

Installation:

1. Extract and run.

Changelog:

v0.5
Additions:

Elara’s Storyline Rework : Elara’s storyline has been completely reworked! Dive in and experience her story like never before.
New Elara Scenes : Enjoy several brand-new scenes featuring Elara. Get ready for some exciting moments!
Improved Game Intro : The game’s introduction has received some love! I’m gradually implementing improvements across different scenes.
Sound and Music Enhancements : Added sounds and music to select environments to boost immersion. More to come in future updates!
NSFW Scene Enhancements : I’ve learned some new tricks to enhance the immersion in NSFW scenes. These will be gradually rolled out across the game.
Minor Sprite and CG Adjustments : Made small tweaks to various sprites and CG scenes for a better visual experience.

v0.4.1
Main Focus

This update is all about Lyra and some key narrative improvements!

Major Changes

Reworked Introduction : The game’s intro has been completely revamped! Now you can make choices during scenes. I want these choices to really matter—not just change a few lines, but also set the foundation for a future relationship system I’m working on. Some choices already influence future scenes, making the story feel more dynamic and personal.
Scene Order Variation : Some scenes now change a bit depending on the order you meet the characters. For now, this only affects one scene, but I plan to expand this so your choices and the order of your interactions have a bigger impact on the story.
Lyra’s Scenes Overhaul : All of Lyra’s scenes have been reworked, with new CGs and a brand new sprite for one of her scenes! Lyra now has a lot more sprites than the other characters, so I want to bring everyone up to the same level in future updates.
Menu Sound Effects : Added new sounds to the menu! If the hover sound gets too annoying, let me know—I’m still thinking about tweaking it.

Fixes and Adjustments

Fixed several images and interactions that weren’t working right in the new menu, especially on mobile.
Made small tweaks to some CGs and sprites for better quality.
Fixed a few continuity errors in the narrative for a smoother story experience.

v0.3
What’s New?

New Character Added!
New Scenes for characters who didn’t get any in the last update.
New Random Scene System: Now, while working at the tavern, you might see a random scene—if you’ve already unlocked its conditions. This is meant to encourage spending time at the tavern while also introducing new moments!
New UI for the Main Menus! (I still plan to improve the in-game UI as well. This is a work in progress since I’m still learning how to bring my ideas into Ren’Py.)
Added a Disclaimer at the beginning of the game (just a small detail, but it might be important to have).

Fixes & Improvements

Adjustments to some sprites and CGs that looked a bit off (I’ll keep refining these over time).
Tweaked some dialogue to make scenes more consistent.
Code improvements (probably not noticeable on the player’s side, but it helps a lot).
Spanish language added! (I’m working on refining the translations, so I apologize for any inconsistencies.)
Rearranged Nina’s scenes into an order that makes more sense.

v0.2
New Content

New Character: Zara Dryake – Her progress is tied to the tavern’s debt payments. Currently, the values are arbitrary, and I’ll be adjusting them to ensure a balanced progression that makes sense.
Character Menu on the Map Screen – You can now check the characters directly from the map screen!
New Scenes Added – Clara, Talia, and Milena have received new scenes.
Portuguese (PT-BR) Translation – This was done automatically for now and hasn’t been fully reviewed yet. Some menus are still untranslated, but it’s a test for now.

Fixes & Improvements

Adjusted some sprites that looked a bit off.
Fixed dialogue inconsistencies in some scenes.
Reworked how the main menu is displayed – Though you probably won’t notice any difference, this was more of a technical adjustment.
Gallery Fix! – I only recently noticed that I had published version 0.1 with a completely broken gallery… Sorry about that! It should now be working as intended.
Several technical improvements to scene logic (mostly backend changes for better handling).

v0.1

Initial release

Developer Notes:

Disclaimer

Hearthwood Tavern is a work in progress and still super early access with just a few content, initially I just want to show the general idea of the game and improve it according to people’s feedback.! The game is being developed by a solo indie developer, which means updates, new content, and quality improvements will be released gradually. Expect things to evolve over time as new features, mechanics, and even more fun interactions are introduced.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated—whether it’s about bug reports, feature suggestions, or just sharing your experience with the game. Your support helps make Hearthwood Tavern the best it can be!

Future Plans

Guaranteed improvements

Here are the updates and expansions that are definitely coming to Hearthwood Tavern in future versions:

More scenes with each character – Deepen your relationships, uncover new storylines, and experience unique interactions with every resident of Hearthwood.

More uses for earned money – Expand the economy of the game with additional spending options, upgrades, and meaningful ways to invest in the tavern’s success.

Story expansion – Continue the journey of Hearthwood Tavern with new plotlines, challenges, and surprises waiting to be discovered.

New characters – Meet fresh faces who will bring their own personalities, skills, and stories to the world of Hearthwood.

More personalized menus – Improved UI and customization options to enhance the player experience and immersion.

Improvements I want but don’t have the capacity for yet

These are exciting ideas I’d love to add, but their inclusion will depend on time, resources, and feasibility:

Animated character scenes – Bringing more life to interactions with subtle animations and visual enhancements.

A more complex tavern management system – Expanding the mechanics behind running the tavern, including staffing, resource management, and new ways to improve business.

Special seasonal events – Unique limited-time events tied to in-game holidays, changing seasons, or major town festivities.

Voicelines – Partial or full voice acting for key moments and interactions to further immerse players in the world.

Features:

Tavern Management – Develop your tavern and earn money to explore the world further!

Dynamic Relationships – Befriend (or annoy) an eccentric cast of characters.

Explore the City – Visit the Potion Shop, the Alleys, the Church, and more to uncover opportunities.

Character-Driven Narrative – Experience a story full of humor, heart, and a touch of mystery.