[STEAM] NEARstudios launches Hawthorn demo at Steam Next Fest

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NEARstudios announced that

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, the upcoming cooperative sandbox RPG simulation from veteran developers, has a demo in Steam Next Fest. The studio also has a

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From June 15 to June 22, players will be able to download and play

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‘s original proof-of-concept demo, the earliest playable version of the game from over a year ago that first captured attention in a viral video.

Developed by a small independent team of former Bethesda and BioWare developers, including the Lead Designer of Skyrim, Hawthorn is built around immersive cooperative roleplaying, dynamic life and colony simulation systems, and a richly handcrafted fantasy world with woodland animals inspired by timeless fairytales, adventure stories, and folklore described by creators and journalists as “Skyrim Meets Stardew Valley.”

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Designed for both solo and cooperative play, Hawthorn aims to unite diverse playstyles within a single immersive world. Players can pursue their own interests whether that be adventuring and exploration to crafting, farming, trading, and community building, all while contributing toward shared goals, progression, and the growth of the world around them. The developers ultimately wanted to build a game they could play with their spouses and families.

According to the developers, this is a pre-production demo built to test ideas and then later to portray the vibe of Hawthorn as the starting point and to the spark imagination of what Hawthorn can become.

“This demo is intentionally a look back at where Hawthorn began and an invitation to join our bootstrapping journey to help bring this world to life with a passionate team and community” said Heather Cerlan, CEO, and creative director of NEARstudios, in a statement.

Shortly after Next Fest, Hawthorn Village Council supporters will get to see how far the game has come with the latest build, get hands on, and help shape the world of Hawthorn throughout development.

The demo represents a pivotal moment in the studio’s journey. This early build generated viral excitement online, attracted publishing deals, and ultimately led NEARstudios to make a difficult decision: remain independent and continue building Hawthorn on its own terms.

To support that mission, the studio has launched a

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campaign through the official Hawthorn

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. The campaign gives the community a direct way to help fund Hawthorn’s development while preserving the game’s unique vision and the close relationship between the developers, creators, and players supporting it.

As part of the campaign, backers will gain access to exclusive playable characters inspired by real-world endangered species, with a portion of proceeds supporting The Nature Conservancy and other nonprofit organizations focused on nature conservation efforts.

Following Steam Next Fest, members of Hawthorn’s Village Council will gain access to the studio’s current development build, showcasing how the game has evolved over the past year while providing opportunities for feedback that will help shape its future. For information on how to join Hawthorn’s Village Council visit their crowdfunding page on their

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An Invitation to Help Shape What Comes Next

NEARstudios says Hawthorn has only been possible because of years of sacrifice, belief, and grassroots support from players who want something different from the modern games industry.

“Every wishlist, every share, and every contribution helps us continue building Hawthorn independently,” said Jason Richardson, cofounder and game director at NEARstudios, in a statement. “This community has already changed the course of this project, and we want our players to help shape what comes next.”

Despite their triple-A backgrounds, this scrappy team aims to bring creativity and player agency back into ambitious games, instead of developers staying behind the curtain and dictating what players get to see.

“We are letting players see everything and this is the earliest example of that,” said Cerlan. “They are putting themselves out there and taking a huge risk in hopes of inspiring a movement to help them build the larger vision for Hawthorn alongside their community.”

Players can

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Hawthorn on Steam, download the Proof-of-Concept demo now through June 22 during Steam Next Fest, learn more about the

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campaign through the official Hawthorn

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, and join their community on

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to join in on the movement.



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