Haven Park put to the test: a really sweet adventure!

Haven Park put to the test

Anyone who sees similarities to A Short Hike or Animal Crossing at Haven Park is right. The Swiss solo developer Fabien Weibel was very consciously inspired by both titles for his first game. The parallels are unmistakable - a completely animal occupation, a beautiful island to discover and small campsites where visitors à la Pocket Camp ask you for favors. Nevertheless, Fabien has given his game a very special touch, thanks to his many years of experience as an art director in the film industry.

Table of contents

1 Have courage, Flint 2 Camping made easy 3 Short and relaxed recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration.

Take it easy, Flint

There are 12 different campsites in Haven Park that you can prepare for visitors. Do not forget to light the fire, then everyone will be nice and warm. Source: PC Games As a little bird named Flint, you help keep your grandma's park going. She is already too old to do everything herself and therefore hands the scepter over to her grandson. Your main task is to bring the island on which the park is located back into shape and to make it attractive for campers. At first, Flint does not dare to undertake such a big task, but his grandma firmly believes in him! Sometimes it is help enough to encourage someone.

So the little yellow bird sets out to explore the park. Exploration is the most important element in the game. Because at the beginning you only have an empty card, which you gradually uncover in the course of your exploratory trips. In about two to four hours of play, you will discover a manageable but interesting open world, consisting of various small and closely spaced biotopes. In the search for campsites you will come across lush green forests, beaches, barren landscapes or snow-capped mountains.

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Camping made easy

As soon as you find a new campsite, you unlock a new area on Flint's map. The areas are named after their sights. Source: PC Games Once you have found one of the twelve campsites, you can start preparing the still uncomfortable place for campers. To do this, you have to collect resources such as wood, fabric, mushrooms, metal or coins. You can then use these raw materials to build objects for your campsites. A certain number of materials are required for each object and once it is made it can be placed within the confines of the particular campsite. Everything is divided into categories so that you can choose from resting, sleeping, activity, eating and decorative objects. You have a colorful selection from tents and bungalows to picnic benches and Ferris wheels, but there are only a handful of options per category still possible. Each camp can accommodate a certain number of campers and each camper has their own ideas of what a perfect stay should look like. So that you don't have to guess and try things out, the guests will tell you what they prefer. In the lower left corner of the screen you will see which objects still have to be placed so that the campers are happy.

There is a lot to discover on the island. Some campsites and paths are hidden. So always keep your eyes open and stay curious. Source: PC Games The more attractive the environment, the more visitors will be in your park. You can have a little conversation with everyone, which occasionally gives you side tasks that bring a little variety to the game. Some are simple search tasks, while others require you to play hide and seek. Some campers tell you legends about the island and ask you to find evidence of them. This adds a nice subtle narrative style to the game and arouses interest in exploring the surroundings very carefully.

Flint levels up as he explores the island and collects items. With each level reached, you receive skill points that can unlock some practical skills. You can then, for example, find more wood while exploring, walk faster, get more coins for the food sold or increase your carrying capacity. The highest level is reached quickly, but even then, exploring is still fun.

Short and relaxed

The style of Haven Park is just as charming and relaxing as the gameplay. Even if the design is kept simple, there are always details to discover, such as small dandelions that you can scatter in the wind. Everything is lovingly designed and goes very well together. There is also a day-night cycle in which Flint makes his way across the island in the dark, armed with a torch. Every now and then you can hear music, but most of the time the game is accompanied by natural sounds.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Haven Park is not quite as mature as its role models. Playtime is very short compared to similar games like Animal Crossing. After you've found all the camps and completed the additional, relatively short quests, your journey in Haven Park is already over. Also, Flint can sometimes get stuck in the landscape, which isn't too much of a problem, but still breaks the flow of the game. This is where the game benefits from the fact that it aims to appeal to a younger audience with its relaxed and non-violent gameplay. Haven Park is about taking your time.

It's not about how quickly the campsites are set up. The visitors do not impose their needs either, so that there is no disadvantage if these are not met immediately. If you are looking for a little relaxed adventure to pass the rainy Sunday, you should pay a visit to Haven Park. And if even the little ones can join in, exploring is sure to be twice as fun.

Haven Park is available for the PC and Nintendo Switch.

My opinion

By Dina Manevich

Author Haven Park saved a cloudy and rainy Sunday for me! Haven Park doesn't try to be more than it really is. The description of the game says that it will be short and that it should be a place to relax. Accordingly, I approached the game without great expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The characters are funny and adorable and the subtle story left me with a melancholy yet comforting feeling at the end of the game. The exploration and the puzzles in the game were nothing groundbreaking but still kept me happy. The playing time was way too short for that, because I would have liked to have spent longer in Haven Park. I think Fabien Weibel can definitely be proud of his first work. Haven Park (PC) 8/10

Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Haven Park (NSW) 8/10

Graphics - Sound - Multiplayer - Pros & Cons Beautiful, subtly told story Lovable characters Relaxed gameplay Suitable role-playing elements suitable for children Beautiful design Simple game principle, short playing time Hooked controls More pros & cons ... Conclusion Haven Park is a small, fine and all-round relaxing island discovery trip.