Saltstone Studios and publisher Fellow Traveller are preparing to launch The Hearth & Harbour, a hybrid of life simulation, narrative RPG, and tactical management.
The game is set in an alternate world inspired by early 20th-century Europe, where players take on the role of a newcomer to the harbour city of Lewthport. Having fled war in the nation of Grauberg, the protagonist inherits a failing restaurant, The Silver Spoon, and must balance survival, community ties, and personal identity in a city on edge.
At its core, the game is about running a restaurant. Each week begins with planning: redesigning the dining room, deciding on décor, and setting the menu based on available ingredients.
Relationships with suppliers and locals determine what goods can be stocked, while the menu itself shapes the type of clientele the restaurant attracts. Debt must also be managed, with weekly payments looming over every decision.
Service time introduces a distinctive tactical system. Rather than operating in real-time, lunch shifts unfold as turn-based encounters.
Customers arrive with different needs and temperaments, and the player manages seating, orders, and the pace of the kitchen.
Staff have limits, and poorly timed decisions can increase stress or lead to mistakes, while efficient planning raises satisfaction and keeps the restaurant’s reputation intact. The result is a system that treats the ordinary act of serving food as a puzzle of resources and timing.
Exploration expands the scope beyond the restaurant walls. Lewthport is filled with vendors, townsfolk, and potential allies, each with their own stories and roles in the larger community.
Choices influence social standing, available supplies, and even the types of customers who come through the door. Dialogue and decisions tie the day-to-day of the restaurant to the broader themes of displacement, identity, and the looming shadow of conflict.
Visually, The Hearth & Harbour adopts a hand-drawn, isometric style that emphasizes detail and atmosphere. The look of the restaurant changes as players adjust its design, giving a visible sense of progress that mirrors the narrative growth of the business and its place in the city.
By combining turn-based tactical service, life simulation, and choice-driven storytelling, The Hearth & Harbour positions itself as a management RPG that is as much about people as it is about profit. No release date for now. Here is the Steam page, and below the announcement trailer.
