Havendock

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"Havendock is a Real Time Strategy game available on Steam, with support for single-player, multi-player, and co-op modes. In the game, you gather resources, build infrastructure, and manage citizens to create a thriving town in the middle of the ocean. With exceptional visuals and promising game mechanics, players can expect a satisfying experience, although be prepared for some grinding."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 950 reviews

gameplay48 positive mentions

grinding46 negative mentions

Havendock is a fun and addictive colony-building game with a charming art style and engaging gameplay.
The game offers a relaxing experience with no fail state, allowing players to enjoy building and managing their settlements at their own pace.
The developers are actively updating the game and listening to community feedback, showing a commitment to improving the overall experience.

The AI for settlers can be frustrating, as they often do not perform tasks efficiently and may ignore certain buildings.
Some players have reported that the game lacks depth and can become repetitive after a few hours, with limited content in its current early access state.
There are issues with the user interface and mechanics that need polishing, such as the inability to assign settlers to certain tasks and the overall management of resources.

gameplay
106 mentions
45 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Havendock is characterized by its engaging and strategic mechanics, particularly in coastal city management, though it is still a work in progress with some janky features and a need for further polishing. Players appreciate the charming graphics and variety of gameplay elements, finding it both relaxing and addictive, despite some concerns about balance and late-game content. Overall, the game offers a unique experience that combines traditional city-building with innovative maritime elements, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
- “Havendock excels in its gameplay, offering a deep and engaging experience that challenges players to think strategically about city layout, resource management, and economic development, all while considering the unique challenges of a coastal environment.”
- “The game is filled with a lot of humor and charm along with really fun gameplay.”
- “Great product even in early access, for its price you can easily get 20 plus hours of addictive gameplay in the beginning with more to do in the later stages of the game as you progress and it's only in early access currently.”
- “It's a fussy and annoying mechanic.”
- “However, it's obviously a work in progress and lacks a late game, a polished interface, and more fine-tuning regarding the core mechanics.”
- “Some mechanics are a bit dumb and don't even work; altogether, it's an idle game to kill around 10 hours of your time (the price is a bit high in my opinion).”
graphics
70 mentions
43 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, characterized by a cute and simple art style that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the charming visuals, including impressive water effects and a diorama-like aesthetic, which contribute to the game's relaxing atmosphere. While some initially found the graphics underwhelming, many reported that they grew to love them as they engaged more deeply with the gameplay.
- “Graphically, Havendock is a feast for the eyes.”
- “It stands out for its innovative approach to coastal city management, breathtaking graphics, and compelling gameplay.”
- “The graphics are actually extremely nice (it looks like a diorama made from children's toys and the water effects are just gorgeous).”
- “Yes, it's in early access, and the graphics are very simple, but the game is very addicting.”
- “I mean, yes, the graphics aren't fancy, but there is a lot going on and the game boots up in seconds which makes sneaking in a casual 3 hours really easy.”
- “The graphics are simple but clean and well done.”
story
54 mentions
6 % positive mentions
89 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimal and lacking depth, with players expressing disappointment over the limited questlines and poor quest scripting. While some enjoy the creative freedom and light narrative elements, many feel that the main storyline is underwhelming, often reduced to basic plot points like "you crashed" and "you flew home." Overall, there is a strong desire for more content and engaging storylines to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “There is also a light story element, which involves investigating the mystery of how the survivors came to be on the ocean.”
- “It feels like it has the creative free world side where you can do what you want in the order you want to do it in or follow along a story.”
- “You create your own story here where you are stranded on a dock and you need to find ways to get resources to build up your settlement.”
- “There's a questline checklist in the bottom left, but I finished the 'main' quest in a matter of hours without actually getting anywhere.”
- “Game works, it's not too terrible if you get your colony up and running with amenities before you start taking on settlers, but the storytelling and quest scripting is absolutely awful, and the endgame feels like you've been cheated.”
- “- In reality, there's no real reason for playing; the amount of story you get is really just 'you crashed' and 'you flew home.'”
grinding
52 mentions
6 % positive mentions
6 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as both tedious and relaxing, appealing to fans of grindy games, particularly those who enjoy farming and building mechanics. While some players appreciate the mindless nature of the tasks, others find the repetitive nature of resource gathering and micromanagement can become tiresome after a certain point, especially after around 20 hours of gameplay. Overall, the game caters to those who enjoy peaceful, simple gameplay but may frustrate players who dislike tedious tasks.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game becomes tedious once islands become available.”
- “Hopefully the game will be more fleshed out in the future; after about 20 hours, I felt 'done', so with the content that is in the game now, a 20-hour romp is about what you should expect before the game starts to get tedious.”
- “The mistake most similar games make is that, after a while, you just find yourself grinding on a few basic resources.”
music
24 mentions
42 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's music is generally praised for its calming and pleasant quality, effectively complementing the tranquil atmosphere and gameplay. However, some users note issues with the music being repetitive and the audio settings malfunctioning, requiring frequent adjustments. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the experience, there is hope for more variety in future updates.
- “The game’s audio is equally impressive, with a soothing soundtrack that complements the tranquil yet bustling city life and sound effects that bring the environment to life.”
- “The very chill soundtrack keeps you relaxed even when your character’s hunger and thirst are running low.”
- “The music, art, and atmosphere are pleasant.”
- “The music is a bit repetitive, so after about 30 minutes I turned it off and found a nice ASMR stream on YouTube to listen to.”
- “The music and SFX sliders stay on minimum, so you have to turn them up and then back down again to get it to shut up.”
- “The music loop is a bit annoying as it's too short.”
humor
20 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game features a light-hearted and quirky sense of humor that many players find charming and entertaining, contributing to a relaxing gameplay experience. While some elements appear unfinished, such as placeholder dialogue, the overall comedic tone is well-received and adds to the game's appeal. Players appreciate the unique humor and fun antics, making it a delightful base-building adventure.
- “It's a base builder game, but so visually pleasing with a light-hearted sense of humor.”
- “A soothing building game with a sense of adventure and a very quirky sense of humor!”
- “The game has a great sense of humor that feels rather unique and despite being early access, most features feel fleshed out and balanced.”
optimization
16 mentions
25 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance without lag in less demanding scenarios, others experience frame drops and technical issues, particularly when the game is set to high quality with numerous active villagers. Some users appreciate the built-in settings to mitigate performance problems, but overall, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, especially for those using high settings on decent hardware.
- “The game's performance on this setup is seamless, with no noticeable lag or frame drops, even in densely populated areas.”
- “Great game, runs smoothly and very moreish.”
- “Don't listen to the people saying there are optimization issues.”
- “Has some of the same performance issues that Forager has. On max settings with a pretty decent computer, once all the villagers and everything gets moving, there are some frame drops. Fortunately, there is a built-in setting to decrease the calculations that the villagers do to increase performance.”
- “There are some technical problems you need to fix, such as bugs and laggy performance when high quality is enabled.”
- “Terribly optimized with bare bones mechanics, even for early access.”
stability
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting various bugs, particularly in the end game and multiplayer modes. While some players have encountered minor glitches, such as camera issues and key input errors, others have experienced minimal problems, especially in single-player mode. Overall, the game is still in early access, and players express confidence that the developers are actively working on fixes.
- “The end game is extremely buggy.”
- “I find the multiplayer to be just as described: 'buggy'.”
- “Even though there are some bugs, and even though it says single player, you can do multiplayer; it's just buggy but work-aroundable at least.”
replayability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its strong replayability, with users highlighting its fun and casual nature. Various additions enhance play styles, contributing to its overall replay value.
- “It's fun, casual, and replayable.”
- “It seems even replayable.”
- “All of these additions would add differing play styles and replay value.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently highlight the atmosphere as pleasant, noting the positive impact of the music and art on the overall experience.
- “The music, art, and atmosphere are truly pleasant.”
- “The music, art, and atmosphere are truly pleasant.”