The Novelist
Released Dec 2013
The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be.
74% positive · 1,037 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to buy
Steam $0.99 $4.99 −80%
Can't confirm — worth a look
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Evaluation
The Novelist launched on December 10, 2013 as a complete, self-contained narrative game. Post-launch activity consisted primarily of platform support patches and small quality-of-life updates. The only paid DLC released was an original soundtrack on January 10, 2017 — a cosmetic/music add-on rather than a story expansion. The most recent developer communication was on October 1, 2019, when a macOS 64-bit compatibility update was released. That post's closing line — "Thanks, as always, to the players who have loved and supported the game over the years. Here's to many more years of Novelist playthroughs on Mac!" — reads as a maintenance gesture rather than a signal of ongoing content development. There are no unreleased DLC items, no announced future content, no roadmap, and no post-launch pattern of major story or gameplay expansions. The game was launched as a finished product and has received only maintenance updates since. All content, including the sole DLC (the soundtrack), has been released.
Evidence
The only DLC listed is the original score, and it is marked as released. No unreleased DLC exists in the store listing.
macOS 64-bit compatibility update released — the last official communication from the developer. Post thanks long-time players and expresses hope for 'many more years of playthroughs' but announces no new content.
Content
1 of 1 released · no outstanding content
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Orthogonal Games
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows, macOS, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player
About this game
The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be. The Kaplans have come to a remote coastal home for the summer, unaware that they’re sharing the house with a mysterious ghostly presence: you.
Read the family’s thoughts. Explore their memories. Uncover their desires and intervene in their lives. But stay out of sight; you can’t help the Kaplans if they know there’s a ghost in the house. It’s up to you to decide how Dan’s career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost.
Dan’s relationships – to his work, his wife, and his son – react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play.
The decisions you make will define the Kaplans’ lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.
Read the family’s thoughts. Explore their memories. Uncover their desires and intervene in their lives. But stay out of sight; you can’t help the Kaplans if they know there’s a ghost in the house. It’s up to you to decide how Dan’s career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost.
Dan’s relationships – to his work, his wife, and his son – react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play.
The decisions you make will define the Kaplans’ lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 28, 2026
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