Haven Moon
- July 8, 2016
- Francois Roussel
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
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Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and atmosphere reminiscent of Myst.
- Challenging puzzles that require observation and thought.
- Impressive for a game developed by a single person.
- Short gameplay, completed in about 3-5 hours.
- Some puzzles are overly obscure or rely on pixel hunting.
- Lacks a compelling narrative and character development.
- graphics135 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and immersive quality, often compared favorably to the classic "Myst" series. Players appreciate the stunning visuals and atmospheric design, which enhance the overall experience, although some have noted issues with optimization and limited graphical settings. Overall, the game's aesthetic appeal is a significant highlight, contributing to its enjoyment despite criticisms regarding gameplay depth.
“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.”
“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.”
“I am running Windows 7, no big deal here, and have tried everything... (and I thought I knew a lot of tricks!) and this game just won't pull it together in the graphics-animation-movement department, enough to see what's going on!”
“After about 60 seconds of attempting to navigate the beautiful environments via the choppy/jerky visuals... you have to just stop before you get a friggin' headache!”
- story133 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as minimal and lacking depth, with many players expressing disappointment in its brevity and underwhelming conclusion. While some appreciate the atmospheric world and hints of a more complex narrative, the reliance on written notes for storytelling leaves much to be desired, resulting in a plot that feels basic and sometimes incoherent. Overall, the story serves primarily as a framework for puzzles rather than a compelling narrative experience.
“Like Myst, you are transported to an island where notes left behind by your mysterious host set you upon a quest of exploration and discovery.”
“Overall, the world is rendered very well, both in terms of the physical environment and the environmental effects, and in terms of the story that progresses throughout the game.”
“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 is very basic, not much to say about it.”
“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.”
- music69 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmospheric experience, fitting seamlessly with the beautifully rendered environments and evoking a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic titles like Myst. While the soundtrack is generally considered lovely and well-executed, some players expressed a desire for more control over the music and ambient sounds, noting that it occasionally overpowered important audio cues. Overall, the combination of high-quality music and sound design significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.
“The soundtrack complements the beautifully rendered environment well, and I found myself spending a lot of time just wandering about appreciating the detail put into this game by the developer.”
“I must also separately say that the music perfectly fits the atmosphere and setting of this game.”
“The locations have matching music that subtly adds to the mood of each space, and I believe a lot of people would want their interior decorator to take inspiration from the places you visit while playing.”
“Cannot turn off the music or background noise.”
“The one gripe I have is the lack of control over the music and ambient sound.”
“In one case, the music overpowers important clues in the ambient sounds.”
- atmosphere50 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, immersive sound design, and a nostalgic resemblance to the Myst series, creating a peaceful and captivating experience. Reviewers highlight the game's distinct charm, attention to detail, and the effective integration of music that enhances the overall ambiance. While the atmosphere is a strong point, some players noted that the puzzles could be challenging, occasionally detracting from the enjoyment of the environment.
“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 atmosphere, music, narrative, and puzzles all worked well together.”
“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).”
“There was plenty of atmosphere to go around, and the story of one man's wish to pass on a treasure was motivation enough to see the story to its end.”
“Sound and music: excellent, sounds sounded realistic and music accurately conveyed the atmosphere of each area.”
- gameplay47 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its beautiful graphics and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize its linearity and convoluted puzzle mechanics. Players noted that while the puzzles are reminiscent of the Myst series, they often lack sufficient clues and can feel frustratingly arbitrary. Overall, the game offers a short experience (around 2-5 hours) that may appeal to fans of the genre, but its gameplay may not meet the expectations of all players.
“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.”
“If you're a fan of the Myst series, this game will scratch the itch for puzzle solving involving electro-mechanical devices on a gorgeous alien world.”
“Gameplay elements such as powering things up before you can solve their puzzles, traveling between small, isolated environments using fanciful means, and deciding on an ending once you've collected everything all make appearances.”
“Haven Moon has a few decent puzzles, but it's marred by unhelpful mechanics.”
“The mechanics of playing the game are hyper-linear to the point where the only things you can interact with are parts of the current puzzle or are useless.”
“The gameplay is linear, but convoluted and easy to get stuck.”
- grinding17 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious, primarily due to the reliance on trial and error in solving puzzles, which often requires excessive backtracking across multiple locations. While some appreciate the challenge and the eventual rewards, many find the lack of clear guidance and the repetitive nature of the gameplay to be frustrating and monotonous. Fast travel options help alleviate some of the tedium, but the overall experience can still feel laborious for many players.
“One must fall back on the trial and error method that is tedious and boring.”
“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.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as microstuttering, making it unplayable even on high-end machines. While others praise its smooth performance at high resolutions and commend its visual appeal, many agree that further optimization is needed, particularly in certain graphical areas. Overall, the game's performance detracts from the experience, though it shows potential if these issues are addressed.
“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.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, user experiences with stability are mixed; while some report a smooth gameplay experience with no noticeable glitches, others describe the game as buggy. However, many players feel confident that the game is robust enough to avoid major issues that would require restarting.
“Runs great on SteamOS!”
“The game maintains a solid frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs; the stability is impressive.”
“Buggy.”
“This game seems pretty buggy.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
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 engaging content for 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.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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 emotional depth of the story and the struggles the characters faced.”
