Haven Moon

About

"Haven Moon" is a Myst-like exploration game set on the moon of Seleos, where you uncover the secrets of the sole survivor of a destroyed world, Ektor Turren. Solve puzzles and discover the story by exploring the abandoned islands and examining curious machinery, all while searching for Turren's treasure and a way back home. The gameplay focuses on observation, listening, and problem-solving, with puzzles integrated into the environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 451 reviews

graphics99 positive mentions

grinding19 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and atmosphere that capture the essence of Myst.
Challenging puzzles that require observation and thought, providing a satisfying experience.
A nostalgic experience for fans of the Myst series, with a charming world to explore.

Some puzzles lack clear logic or clues, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs.
The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-5 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
Movement controls can be awkward, making navigation less enjoyable.

graphics
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
34%
2%
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and attention to detail, effectively capturing the myst-like atmosphere that fans of the genre appreciate. Many players noted the stunning environments, intricate architectural designs, and impressive water effects, although some mentioned minor optimization issues and a lack of in-depth graphical settings. Overall, the visuals are considered a highlight, contributing significantly to the immersive experience, despite some critiques regarding gameplay depth and narrative.
- “The graphics are stunning, especially considering that the creator claims to have done all the work himself.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous graphics which definitely capture the myst feel.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous, the music is right, and the puzzles are logical but not diabolically hard.”
- “The settings are very basic; you choose resolution and graphics every time you start the game.”
- “I expected to be able to have more control over graphics settings, e.g., what amount of anti-aliasing, etc., but there are no choices, except over display resolution.”
- “The graphics demands were a bit much for my PC, so my experience was not as smooth as it could have been.”
story
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The game's story is often described as shallow and lacking depth, primarily conveyed through brief notes that fail to create a strong narrative connection. While some players appreciate the atmospheric world and intriguing premise, many express disappointment with the execution, citing plot holes and a lack of character development. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop for puzzle-solving rather than a compelling narrative experience, leaving players wanting more in terms of depth and engagement.
- “I love the story and it brought back memories of one of my favorite games, Myst.”
- “The story is light but coherent.”
- “The world was beautiful, the story interesting (still hoping for a DLC or a sequel to find out what happened to the mystery man who built the place) and most of all the puzzles were great.”
- “The story isn't well-written (though the phrasing is likely a translation issue), and is trying to be deep but just doesn't manage it.”
- “The game starts well then devolves into a labyrinth of 'how the heck am I supposed to figure that out?' The story seems strong at first, but then evaporates into nothing worthwhile.”
- “You only gain understanding of what's going on in the larger world through the written pages you find, which unfortunately have significant plot holes that leave much to be desired in terms of working out what your role is as the player.”
music
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
33%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the beautifully rendered environments, with many reviewers noting its serene and immersive qualities. However, some players expressed a desire for more control over the music, as it can occasionally overpower important ambient sounds or become repetitive. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's nostalgic and captivating experience.
- “The background music and ambient soundscape is also perfect for this game.”
- “The victorian setting and atmosphere invoke a Myst-like nostalgia, and the soundtrack augments the whole experience nicely.”
- “The music was another great addition to this game, and I was really impressed with the variety available that suited the various environments and situations encountered.”
- “No ability to turn off the music.”
- “The one gripe I have is no control of the music/ambient sound.”
- “The story is not particularly engaging, visuals and music are not bad but lacking in variety.”
gameplay
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
75%
5%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the beautiful graphics and immersive atmosphere but criticizing the puzzle design as illogical and overly linear. While some enjoy the nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic adventure games, others find the mechanics frustrating and the gameplay experience lacking in depth, often leading to feelings of being stuck or engaged in busy work. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but falls short in delivering satisfying and coherent gameplay.
- “The puzzles are what make up the gameplay of a Myst-like, so that’s what you get, and they are properly executed with little exposition.”
- “Gameplay consists of finding things that you can interact with, experimenting with them, understanding the function and purpose of strange machines, and using them to progress to new locations.”
- “This 'old-school' adventure gameplay is cherished by gamers who appreciate the increased immersion and challenge, but of course, it also bears a higher risk of getting stuck.”
- “The premise is solid, very cool architecture, great music, and there's even a decent moral at the end, but the execution of story and gameplay is lacking.”
- “Gameplay which falters early on after solving one major mechanic and never really rises above busy work thereafter.”
- “The mechanics of playing the game are hyper-linear to the point where the only things you can play with are parts of the current puzzle or are useless.”
atmosphere
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
30%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, immersive soundtracks, and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the Myst series. Reviewers highlight the peaceful and captivating environments, which enhance the overall experience, despite some noting a lack of intricate world-building. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as charming, atmospheric, and a joy to explore, making it particularly appealing to fans of exploration and puzzle games.
- “The victorian setting and atmosphere invoke a Myst-like nostalgia, most of the puzzles are logical and can be reasoned out by careful attention to detail, and the soundtrack augments the whole experience nicely.”
- “It creates an amazing, beautiful atmosphere, and you can tell that the creator's heart and soul is in it.”
- “The myst influence is clear and tangible, and the ambient atmosphere, visuals, and music scores are excellent.”
- “Lacking the intricate world-building details of the name-brand version, but it creates the right kind of atmosphere.”
- “On the whole, environments were beautifully designed and pleasant to look at, but there could have been more world-building/creation of atmosphere by allowing the player to learn more about the former inhabitant(s).”
- “In conclusion: buy this game (on sale because it's too short) if you're a Myst fan, or a fan of exploration games like this, you'll still enjoy the otherworldly atmosphere, but if you're not a fan, you're not gonna have fun with it, I guarantee you!”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the reliance on trial and error in puzzles that often lack clear indications of progress. The necessity for extensive backtracking between multiple locations contributes to a frustrating experience, although some players appreciate the eventual availability of fast travel to alleviate this issue. Overall, while the puzzles can be enjoyable, the excessive to-ing and fro-ing detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- “The puzzles rely heavily on trial and error, which is difficult because sometimes there's no clear indication of what a switch is going to do, or where the reaction is going to happen - and since you have to bounce between four islands, it can be tedious trying to check every possibility.”
- “Challenge resolution is sometimes achieved by trial and error, requiring travel back and forth numerous times until there is an indication of progress... tedious and annoying.”
- “Here, there are things that have to be done that are totally cryptic and must be found by sheer luck or by tedious repetition.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
20%
50%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing severe performance issues, including microstuttering and frame drops, making it unplayable on high-end machines. While others note that it runs smoothly at high resolutions and appreciate its visual appeal, many agree that further optimization is needed, particularly in certain graphical areas. Overall, the game's performance detracts from the experience, despite its potential and charm.
- “Graphics are gorgeous, but they could be a bit more optimized (it's not really a problem as it's not a fast FPS or RTS game), and the art direction will seduce any myst lover.”
- “Other than that, it's not well optimized in certain areas graphically.”
- “The game is well optimized, and the controls are okay.”
- “Unfortunately, the performance makes this game completely unplayable.”
- “Even at the lowest setting (of two), on my beast of a gaming machine, the nonstop microstuttering makes the game look like a slideshow.”
- “Quite enjoyable myst clone, primarily suffers due to bad performance.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
83%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting a smooth experience free of glitches, while others highlight significant bugs and design flaws that hinder gameplay, such as pixel-hunting and poorly hinted puzzles. Overall, while some players find it runs well, others express frustration with its stability issues.
- “Runs great on SteamOS!”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
- “This game seems pretty buggy.”
- “Haven Moon unfortunately commits many of the worst crimes of point-and-click puzzle games of this sort: pixel-hunting -- a cardinal sin in 3D games, mandatory incorrectly-hinted large search-space guesswork, 'precise' maps that actually represent inaccurate geometry upon which puzzles depend, buggy and badly-hinted puzzles, nearly silent but crucial audio 'clues', and visual hints that are nearly impossible to pick up on when one's display gamma is a bit too high.”
- “Buggy.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game is criticized for its limited replayability, with many users noting that it offers little incentive to play again beyond experiencing an alternate ending. While some believe it may have more replay value in the future, the consensus is that it lacks substantial content to encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “Will no doubt have replay value in a few years.”
- “Perhaps being a veteran of the Myst games gave me an edge, but this is not a game that will entertain you for a long time and also has very limited replay value.”
- “The only shortcoming I can see with this game is that it has no replay value.”
- “Other than the other ending, there is no replay value whatsoever.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a stirring and touching ending that resonates deeply with players.
- “The ending is both stirring and touching at the same time.”
- “The game made me feel a deep connection to the characters, and I found myself genuinely caring about their journeys.”
- “I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments and the powerful storytelling throughout the game.”

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5h Median play time

6h Average play time

4-9h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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Haven Moon

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Haven Moon

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