Fan-Made Community Wiki

Character House Wiki

Character House - Desktop Companion is a cozy desktop pet game where you build a character and leave it living on your screen while you work. This wiki covers the free Steam demo: setup, customisation, modes, rewards, platforms and the problems players keep hitting.

Download the demo on Steam Start with the beginner guide

Character House - Desktop Companion trailer

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Your Character House Journey

Illustration of a pastel desktop with small chibi companions standing along the bottom edge

Beginner guide: your first session

Install the demo, build your first character, pick a desktop mode and learn what the right-click menu actually does.

The Character House wardrobe screen showing accessory items sorted into N, R, S and SS rarity tabs

Character creation explained

How the studio is laid out, which parts you can change, and the colour and gradient tricks the developer revealed.

Recent Updates

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Character House Beginner Guide: What To Do First

A first-session plan for Character House Desktop Companion: install the free demo, build one character, pick a desktop mode and learn the right-click menu.

Character Creation in Character House: Parts, Colours and Limits

How the Character House character studio works: the part categories, the colour and gradient tools, the ID card, and the limits players keep running into.

Most Useful Pages

Illustration of a desktop companion installation card on a pastel violet background

Demo download and requirements

What the free demo contains, how much space it needs, and why the full game cannot be downloaded yet.

Illustration of a keyboard with a floating counter ring and a chibi companion on a pastel violet background

Keystroke counter and privacy

What the counter totals, what the developer has said about stored data, and what cautious players are doing about it.

Guide

Character House Beginner Guide: What To Do First

A first-session plan for Character House Desktop Companion: install the free demo, build one character, pick a desktop mode and learn the right-click menu.

Character Creation in Character House: Parts, Colours and Limits

How the Character House character studio works: the part categories, the colour and gradient tools, the ID card, and the limits players keep running into.

Ten chibi companions in Character House sitting in a row at desks typing, with a running counter of 100809 in the corner

Character House Desktop Modes: Standing, Typing and Corner

The three Character House desktop behaviours compared, plus the right-click settings that stop your character blocking your work.

Character House Rewards and Expressions: How Progress Works

How the Character House idle loop works: offline rewards, what the gems buy, how levelling grants skill points for expressions, and how two characters interact.

Platforms

Character House Demo Download: What You Get and What You Need

How to download the free Character House Desktop Companion demo on Steam, what the build contains, its size, and why the full game is not downloadable yet.

Illustration of a blank price tag and a free demo badge on a pastel violet background

Is Character House Desktop Companion Free? Demo vs Full Game

The Character House demo is free on Steam. The full game has no announced price, so treat any listed figure as unverified until the store page shows one.

Illustration of a laptop running a pastel desktop companion on a violet background

Character House on Mac: Supported, Specs and Caveats

Character House Desktop Companion supports macOS 12 Monterey and later on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Here are the published specs and what to watch for.

Two chibi companions in Character House standing on the desktop beside the in-game photo panel

Character House Online Features: Friend Visits Explained

Character House advertises visiting friends online and is tagged for online interactivity, but the store still lists it as single-player. Here is what is confirmed.

Updates

Illustration of a blank calendar with a chibi companion resting on it on a pastel violet background

Character House Release Date: What Is Confirmed for 2026

Character House Desktop Companion has a 2026 release window and no exact date. The free demo arrived on 16 September 2026; here is the confirmed timeline.

Illustration of a floating changelog card with a chibi companion peeking over it on a pastel violet background

Character House Update History: Every Confirmed Change

Everything confirmed in the Character House first update: character reset, taskbar pinning, frame-rate options, the uninstall fix and the hidden features.

Fixes

Illustration of a chibi companion standing on the edge of an opaque dark panel on a pastel background

Character House Black Screen Fix: Opaque Background and Lost Transparency

Why the Character House desktop background turns black instead of transparent, the checklist to work through, and the community workaround with its limits.

Illustration of a chibi companion sitting beside a window on a pastel violet background

Character House on Linux: What Actually Works

Character House has no Linux build. Linux players report the interface works but characters render on a black background. Here is the honest status.

Review

Character House Keystroke Counter: What It Records and Why Players Worry

The Character House typing counter tracks keystrokes and clicks. Here is what the developer has said, what players dispute, and what cautious players do now.

Illustration of floating review cards with star ratings and chibi companions on a pastel violet background

Character House Review Roundup: What Demo Players Actually Say

The Character House demo is rated Very Positive with more than 180 reviews. Here is the recurring praise, the recurring complaints, and what is still unreviewed.

Character House Desktop Companion FAQ

The questions players ask most often about the demo, the full release and the desktop overlay.

Is Character House Desktop Companion free?

The Steam demo is free and it is the only build available today. The full game is still listed as not yet available and no price has been announced.

See the price status

When does the full game release?

The store page gives a 2026 window and no exact day. The free demo arrived on 16 September 2026.

Read the release status

Does it run on a Mac?

Yes. The store page lists macOS 12 Monterey or later for both minimum and recommended, with Apple M1 or Intel processors.

Check the Mac specs

Is it a browser game?

No. It is a desktop application you install through Steam, and the characters are drawn on top of your own desktop.

See the online features

Why is my background black instead of transparent?

Players report the character rendering on a black or opaque background, most often on multi-monitor setups. The developer says the cause is still being investigated.

Work through the fix

Does the game count my keystrokes?

Yes, it counts keystrokes and mouse clicks to drive progress. The developer says the data stays on your machine and that an option to switch it off is planned.

Read the full account

Bring your character home

The demo is free on Steam and runs on Windows and macOS. Start with the beginner guide, then check the platform and fix pages before you hit a wall.

Download the demo on Steam Open the beginner guide