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Press release:
[August 27, 2026]: Hearth and Hamlet, a cozy incremental citybuilder has been a huge success for developer Phorust Studios since its launch last week. Following its August 19 release, Hearth and Hamlet hit 100,000 units sold in just seven days – selling nearly 50,000 units in the first 24 hours, with over 1,500 reviews posted on Steam so far.

Featuring a warm pixel art aesthetic, Hearth and Hamlet invites players to oversee their massive fantasy kingdom, trade with other settlements and set policies to keep everything humming and efficient whilst they lead their society into expansion and prosperity!

Published by Runic Forge, this medieval citybuilder clicker sees players assigning their growing population of workers to gather resources, before transitioning into constructing markets, town-halls, barracks, banks, and magic academies. Encounter strange lands across the waters and set and oversee policies of trade and diplomacy to acquire exotic resources and mystical artefacts. All the while, players manage citizens’ happiness for production bonuses, and recruit soldiers and guardsmen to protect their civilization from dangerous animals and raiders.

Hearth and Hamlet is the debut release for Runic Forge, the publishing arm for RUNE – an indie marketing firm and game publisher based in the UK, with years of experience running successful marketing and crowdfunding campaigns for up-and-coming indie titles.

Features:

Incremental idle kingdom builder. A cozy, satisfying gameplay loop that rewards patience and planning.

Medieval pixel art world. Lakes and rivers, magical swamps, faraway lands, and more. All rendered in a charming pixel style.

Deep building system. From simple tents to taverns, castles, magical academies, defensive fortifications, and much more.

Manage resources, workers and policies. Assign your population to gather resources like food, wood, stone and gold. Set policies and laws that shape how your kingdom grows.

Research new technologies. Permanently unlock new buildings, magic and upgrades as your civilization advances. Discover magic, alchemy and more.

Trade with faraway lands. Grow your economy beyond what your local terrain provides by establishing trade routes with neighbouring kingdoms.

Relax, build and grow. Gameplay is engineered to be relaxing and satisfying. Watch your kingdom grow on your terms, at your pace.

About Phorust Studios

Phorust Studios is the development studio behind Hearth and Hamlet. The studio is owned and operated by a solo developer based in Australia. Hearth and Hamlet is the studio’s debut title.

About Runic Forge

RUNE is an indie marketing firm and game publisher based in the UK, with years of experience running successful marketing and crowdfunding campaigns for up-and-coming indie titles. Runic Forge is its publishing label. Hearth and Hamlet, a cozy incremental citybuilder developed by Phorust Studios, marks their first major release as a publisher.

About Hearth and Hamlet

The first major release of indie publisher Runic Forge, Hearth and Hamlet is a cozy incremental citybuilder developed by Phorust Studios that takes players from a mere campfire in the woods to a bustling civilization, spanning the land and seas. The game launched on Steam on August 19, 2026, following a free demo that has been played by over 100,000 lifetime unique players and a wishlist count that has surpassed 125,000 ahead of release.