The Ninth NotchA settlement grows around the embers
Gather wood, build cottages, burn charcoal in the kiln. An abandoned clearing becomes a village.
A quiet text game
The Ninth Notch
Carry an ancient ember into the forest and find out what the notches count.
- Chapters 1 and 2 free
- No internet needed
- No ads
- No notifications
Coming soon to Google Play
The Ninth Notch is in testing right now. As soon as the game is in the store, you’ll find the link here.
For Android phones and tablets running Android 8 or later. In English and German.
Chapter 1 · The Clearing
The clay pot is still warm. For three days you have carried it, wrapped in moss, the lid tied down with bast, just as your grandmother showed you. Now you set it on a hearth older than any you know. All around, the forest stands dense and silent. Mara crouches beside you, counting under her breath on her fingers. “Three logs,” she says. “That’s all we have. Put one on.”
Under the lid the ember glows, hardly bigger than a walnut.
The fire is burning steadily.
The flames reach for the log. For the space of a breath, the clearing grows wide.
The fire burns bright.
The smoke rises straight up, higher than the treetops.
Wood 3Embers glowing
The embers are weak. Feed the fire.
The fire is bright enough.
The first lines of chapter 1, word for word from the game, simplified so you can try it.
How it works
No fighting, no rush. The story grows out of what you do by the fire.
Feed the fire
At first there is only you, Mara, three logs, and an ember hardly bigger than a walnut. Keep it alive.
Assign your people
Whoever arrives helps build. You send people to cut wood, keep watch, tend the kiln, or explore the paths.
Read on
Day by day the settlement grows—and the story tells itself line by line until a chapter ends.
What awaits you
A story in six chapters
Mara, the charcoal burner, counts under her breath on her fingers. Hannes never turns back before he has seen where he was going. The Old Man speaks only in his grandfather’s sayings. And little Fenja hears the trees breathe. Your decisions lead to one of three endings.
Calm, but not without tension
Rain, frost, a kiln that draws wrong: every danger announces itself, and you have a few nights to prepare. None of it is left to chance. If the fire does go out, the game isn’t over.
While you’re away
The watch keeps the fire and your people keep gathering. After a longer break, a card tells you what happened. No notifications calling you back.
Tally stick and journal
One notch per chapter—tap it to reread. The journal keeps every line of the story, even across a fresh start.
Made for everyone
“Calm Pace”: everything runs at half speed, and the fire never goes out completely. Plus large text, light and dark themes, and reduced motion.
Screenshots
The beginning 
One ember, three logs 
The clearing becomes a village 
Assign your people
Who is it for?
Readers
The story comes first. Short sentences, a handful of characters, a mystery that opens slowly.
Text game fans
Supplies, assignments, and a settlement that grows while you read—without in-game currency or boosters.
Anyone short on time
A few minutes by the fire are enough. When you come back, the game tells you what happened in the meantime.
What’s free—and what costs
No subscription, no in-game currency, no ads. Start free, buy once.
Free
- Chapter 1, “The Clearing,” and chapter 2, “The Kiln”
- Tally stick and journal
- All settings, including “Calm Pace”
The whole story
| One-time purchaseChapters 3 to 6 and all three endings. After your first ending: “The Next Fire” and “Hard Winter.” Your settlement stays as it is, even if you read on later. | $2.99 |
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Price in the United States (in Germany €2.99), as of October 2026, before release. The price Google Play shows at checkout is binding.
FAQ
When will the game be released?
The Ninth Notch is in testing. When it comes out on Google Play, the link will be on this page.
Do I need an internet connection?
No, the whole story is inside the app. Only for the purchase does the Google Play library connect to Google Play.
Is there an iPhone version?
No, so far it’s Android only.
Do I have to keep checking in?
No. The game sends no notifications. While you’re away, the watch keeps the fire, and when you return, a card tells you what happened.
Does the app collect data?
No. No account, no ads, no trackers; the app itself sends nothing. Your progress and journal stay on your device. The details are in the privacy policy (German).
I got a new phone. Is my purchase gone?
No. Your purchase is tied to your Google account. On the new device, “Restore purchase” brings it back.
Which languages are available?
English and German. The game follows your device’s language.
I found a mistake. Where do I report it?
Write to us at kontakt@wunderkammer-apps.de—ideally with the chapter and day it happened.
“The forest counts the fires that go out.”
That’s what they say down in the valley. The Ninth Notch is coming soon to Google Play—the first two chapters free.