Hillthorn takes about 4 to 5 hours to beat if you go after every ending, according to publisher Raw Fury. Your first ending comes sooner than that, since the full figure covers replaying the time loop to reach the rest. The store page sums it up as a “short, atmospheric mystery,” so this is a game you can finish in an evening or two.
Raw Fury’s official FAQ puts it this way: “We expect a playthrough for someone who reaches all endings to be approximately 4-5 hours but that does vary depending on each person’s playstyles.” Below is what stretches that out or cuts it down. For the endings themselves, see our guide to how many endings Hillthorn has.
Hillthorn Length at a Glance
| Goal | Rough time |
|---|---|
| Every ending | About 4 to 5 hours (Raw Fury’s estimate) |
| First ending | Less than the full figure; Raw Fury has not given a separate number |
| All 18 achievements | A little more than every ending, because some are missable |
Raw Fury has not broken down the time for a single ending, and we would rather leave that blank than guess. What is clear from the developers is that seeing everything means going through the loop more than once.
What Makes a Run Longer
The time loop. Once you cross into Mount Hillthorn, every move between locations costs in-game time, and at midnight the day resets. You keep what you have learned and some items, but you replay the day with that knowledge. How many loops you need depends on how quickly you piece things together.
Puzzles and navigation. Mount Hillthorn is a maze of trails, and the direction cards (Go Left, Go Forward, Circle Back and so on) turn getting around into a puzzle of its own. Every wrong turn is another move, and moves cost time. Raw Fury points anyone stuck on a puzzle to a hint channel on its official Discord.
Chasing every ending. Raw Fury says the endings come from your choices and that some need the time loop to reach. Going after all of them is where most of the 4 to 5 hours goes.
Missable achievements. Some items and moments can be missed. The Out of Office achievement was the rarest in the game two days after launch, and Fool Moon’s Alexis said on Steam that the team is looking at a way to earn it without deleting progress. For now, missing it means a fresh save.
What Keeps It Short
Hillthorn has no dialogue to read through: the whole story is told with cards. There are no quick-time events and nothing happens in real time, per Raw Fury’s accessibility notes, so you can stop and think as long as you like without the game punishing you. Steam lists Save Anytime, and moving between the Inn and the Inn room costs no in-game time since a demo update in October.
Does Demo Progress Carry Over?
The developers have said you can continue into the full game from the extended demo. Alexis also said that route “wasn’t as thoroughly tested” as a fresh start. A new game is the safer choice if you want every hint to show up where it should, and the demo is short enough that replaying it costs little.
The demo itself is staying up: Alexis said on Steam that the goal is to keep it live after release, so it is still a free way to see whether the card investigation clicks for you.
Platforms, Price and Steam Deck
Hillthorn is on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android, all from November 10, 2026. On Steam it costs $14.99, with a 10% launch discount to $13.49. Raw Fury prices the mobile versions differently from Steam and Switch, which it puts down to simpler performance demands and control limits on phones.
Raw Fury’s FAQ says Hillthorn is Steam Deck Verified, and the game plays with a mouse alone, a gamepad or touch. It runs in 13 languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese.
If a short mystery is your speed, our list of the best horror games on Steam has more evening-sized scares, and The Séance of Blake Manor is another Raw Fury detective game sold in a Steam bundle with Hillthorn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Hillthorn? About 4 to 5 hours to reach every ending, according to Raw Fury. A first ending takes less.
Is Hillthorn a short game? Yes. Its own store page calls it a “short, atmospheric mystery.”
Can you finish Hillthorn in one sitting? A single ending fits in one evening. Every ending takes about 4 to 5 hours, which you may want to split over two sessions.
Does Hillthorn have a time limit? Each day does. At midnight the time loop resets the day, and you keep your knowledge and some of your items going into the next loop.
Does the Hillthorn demo save carry over? You can continue from the extended demo, but the developers said that path was not tested as thoroughly as a new game.
Is Hillthorn on Steam Deck? Yes. Raw Fury says it is Steam Deck Verified.