Hearthrail 0.1.0-alpha.1 — public Windows beta

Hearthrail — public Windows x64 beta

An experimental Windows beta of Hearthrail. Downloads are public; no tester
invitation or account is required to install it or launch local games.
Hearthrail's source remains proprietary.

Installation

Download the x64 setup EXE and compare its SHA-256 with SHA256SUMS-windows.txt.
The installer is unsigned: Windows/SmartScreen may warn. Do not disable
system-wide security protections. Setup is per-user and includes the WebView2
bootstrapper; Internet access may be needed if WebView2 is not installed.

Automatic application updates are inactive in this preview. Future beta updates
will be separate versioned manual downloads until a signed update feed is ready.

Kart LAN preview

Import the matching Kart Royale LAN ZIP from the Mac LAN preview release, then
open Settings → Local library → Local multiplayer. Hosting requires Node.js 22+
already installed. Start the server and open the host game before sharing the
private join link with one invited player on the same network.

LAN is two-player, fixed-track, and no-items. The server runs on your computer,
not a cloud VPS. Hearthrail does not change firewall rules or forward router ports.
Keyboard play is supported; browser rules may limit gamepads over LAN HTTP.

Beta limitations

This is not certification on real Windows gaming hardware. GPU/gameplay, clean
installation, upgrades, controller behavior, and two-physical-computer LAN tests
still need beta-tester feedback. The existing Mac release remains separate and
unchanged. No certified Windows FPS claim is made.

When reporting issues, include the version, Windows version, GPU model and steps
to reproduce. Remove private paths, account details, tokens and serial numbers
from screenshots or logs. Testers do not need access to the private source repo.

Hearthrail 0.1.0-alpha.1 — Mac LAN preview

Hearthrail 0.1.0-alpha.1 — experimental Mac LAN preview

This is a review candidate for Apple Silicon macOS, not a completed cross-platform release.
Hearthrail remains proprietary. This repository distributes binaries, not its source.

Included

• Full Apple Silicon Hearthrail app in a DMG.
• Matching Kart Royale LAN preview ZIP for the normal web-game importer.
• Local hosting controls, detected private IPv4 addresses, Node.js setup checks,
  a private join link, and server shutdown from Hearthrail.
• Public GitHub prebuilt-ZIP import. No repository build scripts run automatically.

Try local multiplayer

1. Install Hearthrail and import Kart-Royale-LAN-preview.zip using Add games → Add web game → ZIP archive.
2. Install Node.js 22 or newer from https://nodejs.org if it is not already installed.
3. Open Settings → Local library → Local multiplayer and select Kart Royale LAN Preview.
4. For another computer, explicitly enable LAN and choose a detected private IPv4 address. Otherwise the server is loopback-only.
5. Start the server, open the host game, then share the join link privately with one invited player.
6. Start the LAN race after the guest connects. Stop server when finished.

Hosting runs on your own computer. It is not a rented VPS or virtual machine.
Hearthrail does not change firewall rules, set up port forwarding, or expose an Internet service.
Do not share the join link publicly. Keyboard controls work; browser restrictions may prevent gamepad access over LAN HTTP.

Important limits

• Two players, fixed track/roster, no replicated items. This is experimental gameplay.
• Requires an existing Node.js runtime; it is not bundled or installed automatically.
• Mac app is ad-hoc signed and NOT notarized or verified by Apple. macOS may block it. Do not disable system-wide security protections.
• Automatic updates are inactive; this preview uses manual downloads.
• No Windows installer or Windows certification is included.
• Two-browser/private-interface tests ran on ONE physical Mac. Two-physical-computer tests, full-race/soak validation, and performance certification remain outstanding.
• This is not an assertion that all provider/cloud/social features are production-ready.

Verification performed

176 launcher UI tests passed, along with workspace checks and desktop clippy.
Native server setup/start/serve/stop integration passed. Two independent browser
instances reached racing state and remote input controlled the host's second kart.
The test also passed on a private IPv4 interface, with no page errors reported.
The rebuilt app was exercised directly: ZIP import, Start server, Open host game
to the LAN lobby, and Stop server. Existing local-library integrity was preserved.

See SHA256SUMS for exact artifact checksums. Checksums identify bytes; they do
not substitute for platform signing, malware review, or the outstanding validation.