The Novelist
Developed by Orthogonal Games · Published by Orthogonal Games
At a glance
Overview
An adventure, casual, indie game by Orthogonal Games, published by Orthogonal Games — single-player.
Steam’s own one-line description: “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.” — developer/publisher text via the Steam store page.
Reception & community
Review sentiment, ownership and peak-concurrent estimates via SteamSpy; tags are player-voted on Steam. Estimates change over time.
Features & modes
Derived from the gameplay modes and feature categories Steam lists for The Novelist.
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Single-player | Yes |
| Multiplayer | No |
| Co-op | No |
| Online co-op | No |
| PvP | No |
| Cross-platform multiplayer | No |
| Full controller support | No |
| Partial controller support | No |
| Steam Cloud saves | Yes |
| Steam Achievements | No |
System requirements (PC)
As published on the Steam store page. Requirements can change between updates.
Minimum
- OS *: Windows XP SP2 or higher
- Processor: 1.8 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: 256 MB VRAM video card
- Storage: 800 MB available space
Recommended
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: 2 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB VRAM video card
Supported languages (1)
The Novelist FAQ
Answered from the official Steam listing as of June 2026. Where something hasn't been announced, we say so rather than guess.
What kind of game is The Novelist?
Steam classifies The Novelist as a Adventure, Casual, Indie game, developed by Orthogonal Games. 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.
How much does The Novelist cost?
As of June 2026, Steam lists The Novelist at $4.99. Prices and regional pricing change — check the Steam page for the current figure.
Is The Novelist single-player or multiplayer?
Steam lists these modes for The Novelist: Single-player. It lists a single-player mode.
Is The Novelist on PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch?
Our data comes from the Steam (PC) store, which lists The Novelist for Windows, macOS, Linux. Console availability isn’t in our Steam-sourced data — check the official site or the console store.
Is The Novelist out yet?
Yes — Steam lists a release date of Dec 10, 2013.
What platforms is The Novelist on?
The Novelist is listed for Windows, macOS, Linux on the Steam (PC) store. Console availability isn't covered by Steam's PC store data — check the official channels.
Is The Novelist single-player or multiplayer?
Steam lists these modes: Single-player.
How much does The Novelist cost?
Steam lists it at $4.99.
What is The Novelist's Metacritic score?
The Novelist has a Metacritic score of 66/100, per the Steam store listing.
Who made The Novelist?
The Novelist is developed by Orthogonal Games and published by Orthogonal Games.
Where to get The Novelist
We don't sell games or track prices — this links to the official Steam store page.
View on Steam →Listing details from Valve's public Steam store data · official site. Not affiliated with Valve/Steam, Orthogonal Games.