RPGFit check
Is Heart of the House worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Readers who enjoy interactive Gothic fiction and want a text-only story.
- Players interested in supernatural mysteries centered on ghosts and a haunted manor.
- Readers seeking romance choices and character identity options within a horror story.
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players looking for graphics or sound effects, since the story is entirely text-based.
- Players seeking action-focused gameplay or mechanics beyond making choices in an interactive novel.
- Players who prefer stories without horror, ghosts, or moments of terror.
Our take on Heart of the House
The text-only format puts the story and choices at the center, but gives up visual scenes and sound effects. Its appeal rests on reading and imagination rather than audiovisual presentation, a clear trade-off for players who want a haunted manor story.
What is Heart of the House?
Heart of the House is a 360,000-word interactive Gothic novel told entirely through text, with no graphics or sound effects.
Play as an orphan who can communicate with ghosts and spirits, and investigate the disappearance of Uncle Kent at Darnecroy Manor. Choices shape whether the character fights the manor’s ancient evil or accepts its power, how secrets are used, and whom—if anyone—to save. The story also includes romance options, or the choice to remain alone. Players can choose a male, female, or non-binary character and select from gay, straight, bi, ace, or poly orientations. The manor’s shifting halls, supernatural encounters, and moments of terror frame the journey.
How Heart of the House plays
- 01Character Identity Choices
- The protagonist can be male, female, or non-binary, with gay, straight, bi, ace, or poly orientations.
- 02Romance Paths
- Romance can range from chaste to provocative, or the protagonist can go alone.
- 03Moral Decisions
- Choices include opposing the manor’s evil or accepting its supernatural power, and using secrets for personal gain or to help friends.
- 04Rescue Decisions
- Players choose which characters to save from the manor’s dangers, if any.
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Heart of the House: platforms & release
Is Heart of the House worth it?
It is worth it if: readers who enjoy interactive Gothic fiction and want a text-only story. Skip it if: players looking for graphics or sound effects, since the story is entirely text-based.
Where can I download Heart of the House?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Heart of the House's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Heart of the House on?
Windows, macOS and Linux.
