Haven & Hearth

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 391 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • grinding
Haven & Hearth Game Cover
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Haven & Hearth is a unique MMORPG inspired by Slavic and Germanic myths, allowing players to significantly impact the game world. Develop your character's skills, attributes, and abilities while engaging with the dynamic environment and its curiosities. Player choices have lasting consequences, creating a meaningful and immersive gaming experience. Feasting to boost strength, studying for learning points, and experiencing oddities are all part of this captivating journey.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 391 reviews
gameplay15 positive mentions
graphics6 negative mentions
  • Haven & Hearth offers a unique and immersive experience with deep crafting and survival mechanics, allowing players to build and explore a vast world.
  • The game encourages social interaction and community building, with players forming alliances and trading resources, creating a rich player-driven economy.
  • The permadeath mechanic adds a layer of tension and excitement, making every decision feel significant and rewarding when players succeed.
  • The user interface is outdated and clunky, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the game's mechanics.
  • The open-world PvP can be extremely punishing, with experienced players often targeting newcomers, leading to frustration and loss of progress.
  • The community can be toxic, with instances of griefing and harassment, which can deter new players from enjoying the game.
  • gameplay58 mentions

    The gameplay of "Haven and Hearth" is characterized by its deep and intricate systems, offering a unique blend of survival mechanics, sandbox freedom, and community-driven interactions. While many players appreciate the complexity and rewarding nature of crafting and base-building, the steep learning curve, punishing mechanics, and potential for player conflict can make it frustrating for newcomers. Overall, the game is best suited for hardcore gamers willing to invest significant time and effort to navigate its challenging environment.

    • “It's a fantastic, unique game with rich systems and many overlapping, highly satisfying gameplay loops.”
    • “The intricate systems for producing goods—like the surprisingly satisfying process of making cheese—add depth and charm to the gameplay.”
    • “Haven and Hearth is perfect for hardcore gamers who enjoy survival challenges, emergent gameplay, and intricate crafting systems.”
    • “The combat is also cheesy and uncharacteristically shallow for a game ridden with esoteric mechanics.”
    • “Spent over 3 hours at some place just barely getting the hang of the clunky UI, unclear mechanics, and overall chaos that this game is, only to return to some dude erasing everything I have with a stone saying 'leave or die'.”
    • “Gameplay in general is frustrating to me and not fun.”
  • graphics24 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and simplistic, often described as utilitarian or reminiscent of older titles from the late 2000s or even earlier. While they may lack polish and modern visual appeal, many players appreciate the rustic charm and functionality that supports the gameplay experience. Despite the graphical limitations, the game's depth and engaging mechanics have garnered a loyal following among those willing to overlook its visual shortcomings.

    • “While not visually stunning, the art style conveys a rustic charm that suits the iron age setting.”
    • “This game is truly remarkable for anyone willing to overlook its quirky graphics.”
    • “Its old-school graphics (not bad graphics, there is a difference) and yet I found this more enjoyable than the past 5 MMOs I've seen from million-dollar companies.”
    • “Graphics are a bit old because this game was out there for some time before it came to Steam.”
    • “Outdated visuals: the graphics and UI are functional but lack polish compared to modern standards.”
    • “The graphics are simple and utilitarian, with a top-down isometric perspective and minimalistic character models.”
  • grinding23 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Haven & Hearth" is characterized by a slow, time-gated progression that can feel tedious and punishing, especially for solo players. Many users find the extensive time required for tasks like farming and studying to be a significant barrier, leading to frustration, particularly in a competitive PvP environment. While some appreciate the depth and complexity of the game's mechanics, the overall sentiment suggests that the grind can be overwhelming and detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “It's an outdated, very clunky, extremely grindy, and punishing relic of the past.”
    • “Having played Haven & Hearth for a couple hundred hours off-steam, I can say it is one of the most deep and well thought-out sandbox MMOs, but the actual process of playing it is like grinding your skin against sandpaper: slow, painful, and very confusing.”
    • “After about 10 hours, you bump into several things that either require you to log in constantly and maintain, or simply take weeks of what the community calls 'quality grinding' to keep up with other players in PvP.”
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story is primarily driven by player interactions and emergent storytelling, with many players sharing personal narratives from their experiences in the world. While the initial quests serve as a basic tutorial, they often lack clarity, leading to confusion in combat and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game emphasizes exploration and creativity, allowing players to craft their own stories through various challenges and social dynamics.

    • “Player interaction: the social dynamics, whether cooperative or competitive, lead to emergent storytelling.”
    • “You'll find story after story from people who've spent enough time playing this game, of all the hours they've spent working on their homestead, all the hours they've spent talking with their friends, all the hours they've spent fighting through the deepest part of the mines, or flanking unsuspecting players on their way to the player-run world market.”
    • “Its one of the best survival MMOs you could play that provides a lot of emergent storytelling moments and a great deal of accomplishment due to every action taking a while to do.”
    • “The game does give you a series of early game quests which kind of serves as the game's tutorial, which tasks you to do certain things like 'take bark off of a tree' and then 'craft a cup out of the bark you took so that you have something to drink out of'.”
    • “'Once you have everything of the highest quality, what next?' What next is I play another game, or start a new character with some kind of silly restriction, play as a vegan who never studies, or a Viking and only wear furs and such. People kind of lost the plot with this game; games are meant to be fun, there's no better reason to play a game.”
    • “I found a ton of bases which barely made it to the 5th quest or so, where you place stone tiles (which can't be removed/picked back up for remodeling your base).”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game features a unique blend of eerie and relaxing elements, with a sparse soundtrack that enhances the feelings of isolation and wilderness. While the ambient sounds create a cozy atmosphere, they can be misleading, as the peaceful melodies contrast sharply with the game's sudden and dangerous encounters.

    • “The music is nice, the ambience is relaxing, and the game is overall cozy until a badger walks through your camp and rips you apart.”
    • “The soundtrack and ambient sounds are sparse, enhancing the game’s sense of isolation and wilderness.”
    • “Music has a weird combination of eerie and relaxing at the same time.”
    • “Also, the peaceful music can be misleading.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, offering players a visceral simulation of life in a harsh environment that evokes deep feelings of resilience and vulnerability. Engaging in activities like building, nurturing, and forming relationships creates a unique emotional journey that challenges players to confront both the beauty and brutality of existence. Overall, it is described as a powerful odyssey that resonates with the human experience.

    • “What other game has made me feel this alive?”
    • “Building a shelter from nothing, nurturing crops to life, forming fragile alliances with strangers (or igniting fierce rivalries), and facing the ever-present risk of permadeath forge an emotional experience unlike any other.”
    • “Haven & Hearth is not just a game; it's a 10/10 emotional odyssey into what it means to be human in a world that demands resilience and rewards courage.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is often derived from the social dynamics and interactions among players, particularly the amusing consequences of negative behavior in chat. Players find irony in the complaints of others, suggesting that the game's community and their reactions can be a source of entertainment. Overall, the humor seems to stem from the chaotic and sometimes absurd nature of player interactions.

    • “The funny thing is, if we had been allowed to spawn in together and figure the game out together, I imagine we would have maybe continued playing it.”
    • “Also, the negative review brigade is especially funny when you connect the common link between the complainers and the fact they might have gotten their comeuppance for spamming regional/global chat or pushing their ideology, which is one of the best ways to get someone's wrath.”
    • “Many people will be watching and laughing at your negative reviews.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The optimization for controls and performance on PC and Steam is criticized as inadequate, with users expressing a desire for better resolution support on modern devices, particularly for iOS. Overall, the game's optimization is seen as lacking and in need of significant improvement.

    • “The controls are not optimized.”
    • “This is garbage in terms of optimization for Steam and PC players.”
    • “I'm waiting for you on iOS (iPad) with optimization for the resolutions of modern devices, and ideally with your own client (full-fledged).”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a tense and immersive realism that heightens the sense of danger, making players genuinely fear for their character's survival. This intense ambiance complements the challenging gameplay, appealing to those who appreciate a prolonged and engaging experience.

    • “I recommend it if you like difficult games that can be stretched out for a month and enjoy the atmosphere with a bit of danger.”
    • “Graphics and atmosphere.”
    • “That just adds an element of intense realism to the atmosphere; you genuinely fear for the life of the character you have invested so much time and effort into developing.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere are underwhelming, failing to create an immersive experience.”
    • “While the game attempts to build tension, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”
    • “The lack of environmental detail detracts from the overall atmosphere, making it hard to feel engaged.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is viewed positively, as it is not perceived as a typical cash grab often associated with EA titles. Additionally, players have found that connecting to Google DNS instead of using proxies to block ads has resolved issues with Java crashes, indicating a focus on user experience over aggressive monetization tactics.

    • “Not your typical cash grab EA game.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Reviewers indicate that enhancing configurability could significantly improve the game's replayability, suggesting that more customizable options would encourage players to revisit the experience.

    • “I'd suggest some way of making things a lot more configurable; it would work wonders to make this game more replayable.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes and choices makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

1000hMedian play time
1000hAverage play time
1000-1000hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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