Images are from Demonheart by Rolling Crown
TL;DR: This visual novel is not for the tender-hearted and definitely not for children. If you're in a rough place emotionally, you'll probably want to pass it by. But if you love dark fantasy, you might enjoy it. Me? I love it!
Demonheart offers many things I love and made a major impression on me. It was one of the first complete visual novels I ever played and remains among my best experiences. I squeezed every bit of story I could get out of it during five full playthroughs, and I've bought and played everything the creator has made since. The only reason it's taken me two years to review it is because I had too much to say and didn't know where to begin.
Let's start at the beginning: Over a decade ago, the creator - who goes by Lamb online - made some modules for the Neverwinter Nights video game, showcasing her own characters, setting, and story. They were the first incarnation of Demonheart. I haven't played them but from everything I've read, they're more extreme than the visual novel in every way. Because of her unique vision, the modules developed a following. And instead of trying to sanitize them, Lamb created a visual novel in an alternate universe instead and published it via her Rolling Crown studio.
The basic premise of the VN is this: In the fantasy town of Feline, Bright's family has fallen on hard times and her engagement to an aspiring knight is going nowhere. Things seem to be looking up when Bright starts working for a local witch, but she soon finds herself irrevocably changed into a demonheart. Unfortunately, her new, inhuman powers make her a target for just about everybody. Along the way she meets Ari, a secretive witch; Sir Brash, an aptly named knight of Scarcewall; and a voice in an amulet that will not shut up. In over her head and unsure of who to trust, there might just be a way out for Bright - if she can live long enough to find it.
Demonheart includes blood, gore (in one scene), murder, and physical violence in both text and art. Character attitudes include misogyny and homophobia. Depending on player choices, Bright can be callous and cruel and may take part in torture and murder. These options are usually presented in straightforward language, so you're unlikely to pick them by accident, and are not the only routes available. Some choices toward the end don't have lighter-hearted options, however.
Sexual content includes advances and limited physical contact. If the player dislikes the characters, their advances will likely be unwelcome and commentary will probably be more disturbing. Rape is mentioned in stories and some threats, but isn't acted out or graphically shown. Unwanted advances can always be resisted via text choices and will stop shortly thereafter, but not always immediately. You don't have to romance anyone but the love interests will still flirt and obsess a bit over Bright, regardless.
All together, sex and violence come up regularly and cannot be avoided. If any of this sounds disgusting or distressing to you, it's probably best to pick another VN.
Orchid the witch in her shop
I enjoy the art for Demonheart, from the detailed sprites to the evocative backgrounds. I even enjoy the characters with more exaggerated expressions, like Chance. I suppose this isn't surprising, since my favorite art style for visual novels is Western. Demonheart's art isn't hyper-detailed, but it's solid and has a storybook quality to it that I find charming. I used my screencaps from the game as backgrounds on my PC for a good while after I stopped playing.
This visual novel uses royalty-free music by Kevin MacLeod that fits the fantasy milieu well. Some characters and selected lines are voiced, and it makes a good difference. You can hear some voice actors getting used to their roles at first and there are a few awkward moments, but by the end, it's hard to imagine the story without them. Raze can be such a snarky character, and the voice actor who portrays him does a great job bringing that across!
Like many visual novels, Demonheart's hardware requirements aren't high. It's available for Windows, Mac, SteamOS, and Linux on Steam and Itch. The game gave me no problems on Windows. At full price, it's about $20 but it goes on sale often with good discounts - it's 50% off right now (in June 2025). For the 28 hours I spent with it and all the inspiration I got out of it, the sale price I paid still feels like a steal to me.
You don't get to customize the main character's name or appearance, but you do get to shape her personality during play. Bright is a female protagonist, and this is an otome game.
Demonheart boasts "hundreds of dialog choices" because most of Bright's responses are in your hands. A major reason for that is the alignment system. Like Dungeons and Dragons, Demonheart has a character alignment system along two axes: Good and Evil, and Tactful and Defiant. The more she talks back, the more defiant she becomes; the kinder she is to others, the more good she is. Many choices are weighted toward one value or another, and the alignment screen shows you where Bright is at the moment.
A great thing about this visual novel is that you can build a personality for the main character through her responses. Want to play a snarky bitch? You can! And there will be some different reactions from others. You can even get achievements on Steam for maxing out each of the values. If you enjoy making decisions for a main character, like I do, you'll soon feel spoiled for choice.
The game is available in English, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. You can adjust the font size, text speed, volume (of music, voice, and effects) and brightness. The primary font is easy to read and the contrast between text and background is usually good. You can review your achievements and the game's credits from the menu screen, which is nice. There's an in-game, read-only journal and a screen where you can see Bright's current alignment, as well. You can also start a game at the beginning of one of the five chapters, instead of staring at the beginning. On Steam, there are 34 achievements (and yes, I got them all).
Sir Brash the Aptly Named
All of the characters in Demonheart are problematic and may seem irredeemable, including all three of the potential love interests: Ari, Brash, and Raze. Ari seems - and can - be the sweetest, but she isn't without stain. Brash probably comes off the worst (he is, after all, Sir Brash the aptly named), but Raze isn't far behind. Any of them can hurt Bright or hurt others to save her. Each of them can be possessive but might come to love her. All of them have done terrible things that cannot be undone, however.
You can choose disapproving responses, but that won't always affect other characters' actions or attitudes. Many characters are rude, especially in public, where they have reputations to maintain. But many things aren't as they appear, and with each playthrough, you can learn more about why they are the way they are. Choosing kind options more often than not will get the love interests to soften up over time. Or you can have fun with a love-hate relationship, if that's your jam. As noted before, you don't have to romance anyone; you can just be friends or enemies.
If you try Demonheart and are left wondering how there can be anything good about Brash, you can read my very spoiler-heavy Tumblr thread about him, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Sir Brash" - but wait until you've gone through the game once or twice first.
Despite the many choices available, you should know that the story is linear. Different choices aren't going to radically change the path Bright is on, but there are distinctly different endings outlined in the epilogue, and Bright can die before getting there. There are plenty of endings in which Bright lives, along with other characters.
Some choices lead to the same content, but many choices lead to more information about the characters and the setting. This is where this visual novel really shines. Things that may not have made sense in your first playthrough can be illuminated in the next. This is especially true for problematic actions and attitudes. There are reasons for everything, and while they don't excuse anyone, they do put them in context.
With over 100,000 words of conversation, you simply won't get everything in one playthrough. That's why I recommend going through it a few times, and aiming for different alignments and relationships each time. The impressions you have of the characters and story can change later on; I know mine did. It felt like this visual novel really opened up for me the more I played, and I loved that experience.
I'll be the first to admit, Demonheart isn't for everyone. But if it is for you, I hope you love it like I do!
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