HeartmorrowHeartmorrow now has an official Pinokio launcher. This makes it way easier to setup and run the game.
Heartmorrow is local-first, but setting up a local application can still involve cloning the source, preparing a Node.js runtime, installing dependencies, and remembering which commands you need to even run. Pinokio turns that process into a small set of buttons while still keeping the game running on your own machine.
What Pinokio handles
When you install Heartmorrow through Pinokio, the launcher downloads the game from its official source repository, installs a private Node.js runtime, installs the required dependencies, and creates the sample world. You do not need to do any other pre-setup, it just does it all for you.
After that, the launcher gives you straightforward controls to:
- Start Heartmorrow and open it in your browser
- Update both the launcher and the game
- Repair the installation by running the installer again
- Reset downloaded dependencies and the private runtime if something goes wrong
Your saves and uploaded art are stored separately from the downloaded game files. Updating, repairing, or resetting dependencies preserves that storage, so routine launcher maintenance will not wipe your worlds or progress.
Getting started
- Download Pinokio Desktop and open it.
- Open Heartmorrow on Pinokio and choose Install.
- Open Heartmorrow inside Pinokio and select Install again to prepare the game.
- When setup finishes, select Start, then Open Heartmorrow.
If the Pinokio listing does not open in the desktop app, paste the official launcher repository into Pinokio’s Download field instead.
The launcher has currently been tested on Windows, but should work on MacOS and Linux as well. The existing Docker and manual installation methods are still available, so nothing changes if you already have a setup you like. The installation guide now covers all three paths.
You still choose the language model
Pinokio installs Heartmorrow, but it does not bundle a language model. On your first run, connect the local or hosted provider you want to use. Heartmorrow supports Ollama, LM Studio, KoboldCpp, and OpenAI and Anthropic-compatible endpoints.
The interface and world editor can be used without a model, but conversations and world simulation require one. The in-game setup will walk you through choosing a provider, entering its connection details, and testing the connection before you begin.
Still local
Using Pinokio does not change Heartmorrow’s local-first approach. The game still runs exclusively on your computer and keeps its saves and uploads on your machine. Pinokio is managing the setup and launch process, not moving the game or its data into a hosted service.
If wading through how to install the game was the thing keeping you from trying Heartmorrow, I hope this makes the first step easier. You can install Heartmorrow with Pinokio now, read the full installation guide, or join the Discord if you need help. Thank you for reading.
-DSimDev