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Heart of the Woods key art
● Completed18+ patch

Heart of the Woods

Yuri, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Drama · by Studio Élan · 2019

Heart of the Woods screenshot 1Heart of the Woods screenshot 2Heart of the Woods screenshot 3Heart of the Woods screenshot 4Heart of the Woods screenshot 5Heart of the Woods screenshot 6

A burned-out vlog manager takes one last trip to a snowy German village and falls for the ghost who has haunted its forest for two hundred years.

Who it's for: Readers who want a full-length, voiced fantasy romance between women, with folklore, mystery and a winter setting.

The story (spoiler-free)

Maddie has spent years running her best friend Tara's paranormal video channel and has decided this trip will be her last. A fan named Morgan has invited them to a remote village with proof of the supernatural, and this time something is really there.

That something is Abigail, a lonely ghost bound to the forest by an old curse. As Maddie grows close to her, Tara and Morgan dig into the village's history, and the story shifts between their viewpoints as fairy-tale magic and old grudges come to the surface.

It is a full-length, fully voiced romance with a cold, quiet atmosphere. The base game is all-ages; a free optional patch on PC adds two explicit scenes.

Where to play

PlatformEditionEnglishHow to get it18+ content
Windows ↗Voiced Edition (current PC version)Also on itch.io and GOG; free official R18 patch on itch.ioYesPurchaseOptional (official)
Mac ↗Voiced Edition (current PC version)Free official R18 patch on itch.ioYesPurchaseOptional (official)
Linux ↗Voiced Edition (current PC version)Free official R18 patch on itch.ioYesPurchaseOptional (official)
Switch ↗Console version (2021)Published by Sekai Games; ESRB MYesPurchaseNone
PS5 ↗Console version (2022)ESRB MYesPurchaseNone
PS4Console version (2022)YesPurchaseNone

Why play it

  • +One of the best-known English-language yuri visual novels
  • +Full voice acting and detailed winter art
  • +Romance, folklore and mystery in one finished story
  • +Adult content is optional and free on PC; consoles are all-ages

Keep in mind

  • −Few choices; the story is mostly linear with bad endings along the way
  • −The adult patch is PC-only and must be matched to your game version
  • −Takes a while before the supernatural plot gets going

Content warnings

Show 5 content warnings
deathstrong languagemild bloodsuggestive themessexual content (optional patch only)

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