The Hayseed Knight

RPG· Visual Novel· Choose Your Own Adventure· Funny

Released Dec 2020

Come hear the tale of Ader, or how a poor one-eyed farm boy who's got nothing left to eat but his dreams, accidentally becomes the greatest knight in the kingdom this fully voice-acted and animated picaresque visual novel!

96% positive · 207 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to buy

Steam Updated 11 Oct 2026 $19.99

Can't confirm — worth a look

We couldn't confirm these stores carry this game.

Green Man Gaming Steam key Search IndieGala Steam key Search

Prices in USD, as listed by each store.

Buying through an affiliate store helps support the site

Evaluation

The Hayseed Knight is a solo-developed visual novel that reached its full 1.0 release on February 29, 2024, when developer Maxi Molina shipped Chapter 5 and all three main endings after roughly seven years of development. Following that, a feature update (v1.8.1) in July 2024 added full Steam Deck and controller support. On February 28, 2026, Maxi published a final development retrospective announcing the completion of the Spanish and French translations for all chapters. In that same post, Maxi explicitly stated: "I would truly say that The Hayseed Knight is over at last for the time being." The post also candidly acknowledged that the game was a commercial disappointment (around 4,500 sales over six years), that the developer has stepped back from game-making to recover from burnout, and that a planned sequel remains indefinitely on hold — Maxi wrote: "I can't currently imagine the day where I'll go back to working on it." The only piece of the game that remains incomplete by the developer's own account is the Japanese translation, which covers only Chapters 1 and 2 as a proof-of-concept. Maxi confirmed this will remain unfinished due to the prohibitive cost (~€10,000–14,000 for the remaining 160,000 words) and explicitly stated this is accepted as the final state of the game. This is not a content update or expansion — it is a localization gap the developer has publicly closed the door on for now. The game's story content, English version, Spanish and French translations, and all major features are complete as of February 28, 2026. No further updates, DLC, or expansions have been announced.

Evidence

Developer Maxi Molina states: 'I would truly say that The Hayseed Knight is over at last for the time being.' Spanish and French translations are now fully complete. The Japanese translation will permanently remain a partial proof-of-concept due to cost. Developer confirms they have stepped back from game-making and cannot imagine returning to the planned sequel.

news post · Feb 28, 2026 source development ending

high

Full game released as v1.8 with Chapter 5, all endings, and major art/audio overhaul. Developer describes this as the completion of 7 years of work and states it should be 'the last big update' barring catastrophic failures.

news post · Feb 29, 2024 source development ending

high

Media

Details

Developer

Maxi Molina (MaxiMJdev)

Publisher

Maxi Molina (MaxiMJdev)

Achievements

Platform

Windows, macOS, Linux

Controller

full support

Steam Deck

Not rated

Players

Single-player

Visual Novel Choose Your Own Adventure Funny Medieval RPG LGBTQ+Story Rich Multiple Endings Choices Matter Animals Colorful Indie Fantasy Comedy Romance

About this game

The Hayseed Knight tells the story of The Knight of the Upperfield! The bravest! The most handsome! The...

Uh, how did that happen, again...?

Ader has always been a dreamer: becoming a knight is his life goal! But truth is, he's nothing but a ruined one-eyed farmer, trapped in a city where all he has to his name are his dreams. When it seems like he'll never be able to give a single step ahead, he meets a mysterious lady who changes everything...

...for the worse.

This gorgeous, fully voice-acted and animated picaresque visual novel unravels in unexpected ways with a perfect blend of mystery, comedy and romance.

Steam Deck compatible!!

A grand, mysterious tale

Come closer, and listen to the tale of Ader-sind of the Upperfield, the greatest knight the kingdom has ever known! The bravest! The most handsome! The... yeah, no, let's try this again.

Choose Ader's fate

Take care as you play, because your decisions throughout Ader's tale will ultimately impact the strength of his bonds with the rest of the cast and decide the outcome of his story.

Fully voice acted and bursting with charisma

Every character you meet on your journey through Acazhor is fully voiced and overflowing with personality. Dodge prying questions from an enigmatic sorceress, avoid the ire of your grumpy boss, scrape funds together for your next meal with a tone-deaf bard, engage in philosophical conversation with a giant tree man and more.

Beautiful illustration and animation

Closer to a cartoon than simply a visual novel, every scene in The Hayseed Knight is hand drawn and lovingly animated to truly bring the characters and world to life.

Passion project

Created primarily by one dedicated person over seven years, The Hayseed Knight is a work of love and truly reflects the heart and soul poured into it.

Unique Fantasy World

With deep lore and a history all of its own —inspired by medieval islamic Spain, al-Andalus!— the world of The Hayseed Knight extends much farther than this story and is ready for you to dive into using the in-game encyclopedia.

Queer romance story

In an unconventional tale told in an unconventional way, not even falling in love could be a straightforward affair. You’ll laugh and cry watching this touching romance unfold, layer by layer… always more to it than meets the eye.