Frequently asked questions

DeskFamiliar is a 3D desktop AI companion that gives Agent work a visible, expressive body. Hermes Agent powers the complete built-in experience; Codex and Claude Code connect out of the box for character visualization; developers can connect other Agents through the open-source bridge.

No separate installation is needed — DeskFamiliar ships as a complete desktop app on Steam. It is built around Hermes Agent, which provides the agent runtime. DeskFamiliar is not affiliated with Nous Research or the official Hermes Agent team; it is an independent project that works with Hermes Agent.

Hermes Agent powers the complete built-in companion experience. Codex and Claude Code work out of the box for local character visualization when those Agents are installed — no bridge code or DeskFamiliar rebuild required. Developers can connect any other Agent by writing an adapter or a Windows local process plugin for the MIT-licensed open-source bridge. External Agent connections visualize activity; they do not replace that Agent's chat, tools, approvals, or permission system.

Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). Other platforms are not available yet.

The base app is free: the desktop client, the default characters, and the core work loop. Binding your Steam account also gives the built-in AI a free quota that refreshes every month. If you need more, one-time quota packs are available through your Steam Wallet.

A quota pack is a one-time purchase made with your Steam Wallet that adds usage quota to your account. Purchased quota never expires, and there is no subscription of any kind.

No. The built-in AI runs on DeskFamiliar Cloud and only needs your Steam account binding. Nothing else is required to use the complete built-in experience. Codex, Claude Code, and custom Agent bridges are optional local connections and follow the setup and account requirements of those tools.

All purchases go through Steam, so refunds follow Steam's policies for in-app purchases. The base app itself is free, so there is nothing to refund there.

The gateway retains necessary Steam account details, quota and transaction records, and security metadata such as IP addresses. It relays the conversation context and tool results needed for cloud inference without retaining their bodies as content records. The model provider has its own retention rules. See the Privacy Policy & AI Use Notice.

DeskFamiliar is designed around transparent agent work: read-first defaults, confirmation before file writes and command execution, and extra care for dangerous actions. Tool activity stays visible at all times, and there is no way to switch confirmations off entirely.

Four familiars: Lumen (the default companion), Mochi the British Shorthair, and two historical minds — Newton and Einstein. Each acts out the work loop with its own animations and props, and the roster keeps growing.

Honest answer: the first milestone covers the core visual loop — idle, reading, writing, waiting, completed, error. More animation polish, expressions, and action packs are on the roadmap.

GitHub Issues is the fastest channel — please include your Windows version and steps to reproduce. For anything that does not fit a public tracker, email support@deskfamiliar.com.