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- Mooneye Studios
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- Mooneye Studios
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- Mooneye Studios
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- Mooneye Studios
Haven Park
Released On: Aug 5, 2021
68
7.5
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
68
38% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
63% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 8 Critic Reviews
68
38% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
63% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Haven Park isn’t going to make you forget its influences – and you should definitely play those other games before playing this one, since they’re both much better – but it’s still enjoyable enough that if you’ve got a few hours to spare and want to play something charming and wholesome, it’ll do the trick.
Haven Park is the kind of game that will completely absorb you until several hours have passed and, suddenly, you’ve beaten the game! The story is warm and fuzzy and bittersweet, and if you’re a fan of a quaint, relaxing game don’t hesitate to put this one in your collection.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
7.5
64% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
27% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
9% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 11 User Ratings
7.5
64% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
27% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
9% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
So yeah this is definitely cut from the same cloth as "A Short Hike," but I enjoyed both games equally if for slightly different reasons. I played them within weeks of each other, and of the two, it's "Haven Park" I keep returning to just to start a new game and experience the park again. For one thing, it's just pure eye candy and so beautiful. I'm not talking about pixel style or whatever but rather the color palette, characters, and environmental design. For another, it's more emotionally satisfying to me.
While both games' main quests "end" on an emotionally resonant note, the experience is drastically different. The peak of "A Short Hike" conveys awe, isolation, and (surprisingly) intimacy, as if you've discovered the world's last and most remote phone booth. The peak of "Haven Park" leads to an equally moving encounter, but it also gently encourages you to continue connecting with and helping the enthusiastic park visitors.
Obviously YMMV on this, but I find that "Haven Park" makes me happier overall. I think it's that message of finding peace and a sense of purpose through service and community that appeals to me. That and the gorgeous visuals.
Anyway, they're relatively cheap games and pretty short, so if you like one you should definitely play the other. As long as you don't fall into the trap of thinking that any type of similarity is automatically somehow "bad," you'll probably have a good time with both.
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Nintendo Switch
Haven Park is an amazing cute little game. Atmosphere is lovely, it's overall very relaxing, and the developer is incredibly fast pushing out bug fixes and updates. They're also very willing to help you out with certain quests in their discord channel. It's a short game, but tons of fun, and for that price, you just can't go wrong either way. You can even catch the freaking fireflies at night!
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Nintendo Switch
Honestly, I struggle to find criticism for Haven Park. Is it the most stunning, groundbreaking game you’ll ever play? No, but it doesn’t need to be. While it feels like it draws some inspiration from the Animal Crossing series, it remains its own separate entity with its own identity. For a game about walking and fixing up campsites, it’s short, sweet, beautiful, and even at times, moving. It left me wishing for more, but in the best way possible.
Haven Park is a lovely game that suffers a bit from strange movement choices and a partially underbaked camp construction system. These cons aren’t dealbreakers by any stretch, but they do somewhat sour what could’ve been a truly stand-out example of a bite-sized, wholesome little game. We’re still glad to recommend it, but don’t expect the same level of polish as other bird-based island exploration jaunts you can find on Switch. Oh, and if you press 'A' with nothing to interact with in front of you, Flint says 'Pew'.
Haven Park is similar to Animal Crossing, but requires you to run your own campsite.
Haven Park certainly fits in with the current trend of wholesome games. It’s warm, it looks delectable, and you can make Flint say “Pew” every time you hit the A button. But like many of its ilk, that wholesomeness is a cover for an experience that is largely unengaging. Nothing here coalesces into a complete package or meets its full potential, leaving players with an assortment of good ideas in desperate need of some solid execution.
If you haven’t played A Short Hike yet, you might get into Haven Park for a little bit. But it’s a game that seriously needs more original ideas and better implementation of ideas in general.
There’s nothing bad I can really say about this game, it’s great and I would definitely recommend. Although it has a short story, you can continue exploring and discovering new things! There are some minor bugs here and there, but they aren’t inconvenient and they’re easily avoidable. Definitely buy it if you can
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Nintendo Switch
Really wholesome and relaxing game, if you loved short hike then you'll love this too!
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Nintendo Switch
As much of an action and shooting game junkie as I am, looking for games that challenge me and provide thrills, a great game that moves in the precisely opposite direction can very much grab me. Whether something like Animal Crossing, **** Valley, or other titles out there, sometimes slowing everything down to enjoy some Zen-like calm can be very appealing. For me, Haven Park absolutely nailed the sweet spot for about 5 hours of my time and once I had started I simply had to see it through to the end, which can be difficult to do with as many games as I tend to play and review on a weekly basis. Your goal is a pretty simple one, to restore, improve, and find the many hidden secrets of this park you’ve inherited the responsibility for from your grandmother. This is an experience focused on exploration, the joy of discovery, a bit of puzzle solving, and taking the time to follow every path, check out every hunch, and simply enjoy yourself. I would say that towards the end of the game I did wish for an ability to set something up to allow myself to port around the map more quickly as I shored everything up but it’s a relatively small quibble, if you enjoy games that help you slow down and unwind this comes highly recommended.
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Nintendo Switch
A flagrant A Short Hike clone that’s nonetheless enjoyable, chill and fun. It’s not as refined or slick or smart or funny or playable as A Short Hike, but it’s still fun. It’s hard to copy an all-time indie classic, even if it’s a tiny three-hour one. :)
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Nintendo Switch
I was really disappointed with this game after reading all the positive reviews. The music is very unremarkable, the story is basically non-existent, and the gameplay gets stale very fast as the decorating options are incredibly limited. The movement also felt very sluggish. Additionally, I didn't feel like it was very relaxing because I kept getting lost, as the map doesn't show the player's current location. If you can get it for free or for like a buck, give it a go, but I wouldn't recommend spending more than that on it.
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Nintendo Switch
Summary Explore a tiny and peaceful open world. Meet and talk to the campers, find the resources required to build cosy little campings and keep the campers happy. You will also have plenty of side quests on your journey. But no rush, this place is your safe haven to discover. Haven Park was inspired by games like A Short Hike or Animal Crossing...
Rated E
for Everyone
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Aug 5, 2021
Developer:
- Bubble Studio
Publisher: Mooneye Studios
Genres:
