Where can you download the Hearth and Hamlet Demo?
The Hearth and Hamlet Demo is free on its official Steam page. It launched on April 20, 2026 for Steam Medieval Fest, and the current reference build is v1.0.46, released on June 15 alongside Steam Next Fest.
The Demo introduces the incremental city-building loop: gather early resources, assign a growing population to jobs, construct and improve a settlement, unlock research, and respond to pressures such as Food demand and raids. It is a preview with a defined progression boundary, not the entire kingdom campaign.
Use Steam as the download source rather than unofficial installers or archives. Whether the free Demo will remain available after the full game's August 19 release has not been officially confirmed.
How long is the Hearth and Hamlet Demo?
Most players can expect roughly one to two hours for a normal run, although unlocking every available upgrade may take longer. This is a community-reported estimate, not an official time limit.
Reports around one to two hours mainly describe earlier builds. The v1.0.46 update added buildings, research and another main-story quest, so a thorough current run can take longer. Your pace will also depend on how much you experiment with worker assignments and upgrades.
Demo download size and system support
SteamDB's current Windows depot record shows approximately 568.79 MiB to download and 677.30 MiB installed. Keep at least the 1 GB of free storage listed in the official requirements, because Steam can need additional working space while installing or updating.
| Platform detail | Verified status |
|---|---|
| Demo store listing | Windows system requirements are published |
| Demo Windows depot | 568.79 MiB download; 677.30 MiB installed |
| Full game store listing | Windows and SteamOS/Linux requirements are published |
| Demo on Linux or Steam Deck | Not officially confirmed by the Demo listing |
Do not treat the full game's Linux listing as proof that the Demo has the same support. See the system requirements and Steam Deck status pages for the platform evidence we can currently verify.
How to launch the Demo
Steam exposes three verified launch choices for the Windows Demo:
| Steam launch choice | What it does |
|---|---|
| Recommended | Starts with the game's default renderer |
| Vulkan | Forces the Vulkan renderer with --rendering-driver vulkan |
| Compatibility | Forces OpenGL 3 with --rendering-driver opengl3 |
Start with Recommended. If the game opens to a black screen, crashes during startup or has renderer-related visual problems, retry with Compatibility and then review the troubleshooting guide. The controls page covers the currently documented keyboard shortcuts.
What changed in Demo v1.0.46?
The June update extended progression with several buildings, access to Gold, one additional main-story quest, more research options, and Advisor research in the Leader's Hut or Manor. It also rebalanced worker allocation, research pacing, and combat.
Technical and accessibility work included automatic or manual UI scaling, a helper-arrow toggle, independent audio categories, revised resolution options, 4K readability changes, and Shift + F11 to hide the interface. Traditional Chinese and Korean were added in the same update.
Hearth and Hamlet Demo vs Full Game
| Topic | Demo v1.0.46 | Full release status |
|---|---|---|
| Progression | Stops at a Demo boundary | Broader kingdom progression confirmed |
| Gold | First access added in v1.0.46 | Full economy expected; details pending |
| Research | Expanded preview tree | More technologies confirmed |
| Story quests | One additional main quest | Complete quest scope unannounced |
| Buildings | Several additions | Full list not yet verified |
| Platforms | Demo listing publishes Windows requirements | Full store lists Windows and SteamOS/Linux |
| Steam features | No Steam Achievements are listed for the Demo | Steam Achievements and Family Sharing are listed |
| Save transfer | Older Demo saves broke with v1.0.46 | Demo-to-release transfer remains unconfirmed |
The Demo is best used to learn the shape of the systems. Expect costs, production rates, research requirements, combat balance and the amount of available content to differ in the purchased game. Strategy pages on this site continue to label Demo observations until they can be re-tested after release.
Does the Demo save transfer to the full game?
Do not assume a Demo save will carry into the purchased game. The v1.0.46 patch included backend changes and explicitly made older Demo saves incompatible. There is currently no dependable official answer about transfer to the August 19 build.
If you are deciding whether to start a long completionist run, plan on beginning again at launch unless the developer confirms transfer support. We will update this page when an official answer or the release build provides verifiable evidence.