Monsters of Little Haven

About

Monsters of Little Haven is a single player action game. It was developed by Missing Calm and was released on July 9, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Monsters of Little Haven" is a narrative-driven, atmospheric horror game set in a small, isolated town. The game follows the story of a local journalist investigating strange occurrences and the town's dark past. Players will uncover secrets, make choices, and confront supernatural forces as they delve deeper into the mystery.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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78%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

story26 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Monsters of Little Haven features a beautifully crafted narrative that explores deep themes of childhood, friendship, and acceptance, resonating emotionally with players.
The game's charming art style and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the storytelling experience, creating a whimsical yet haunting environment that draws players in.
With multiple endings that reveal different facets of the story, the game encourages replayability and offers a unique perspective on the characters and their struggles.

The game suffers from pacing issues, with some players finding the slow narrative and minimal gameplay elements to be tedious and unengaging.
Technical issues, such as bugs and awkward translations, detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for some players to fully appreciate the story.
The reliance on a single voice actor for all characters can lead to a jarring experience, and the narration's delivery may not match the emotional weight of the story.

story
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The story of "Monsters of Little Haven" is a deeply emotional and intricately woven narrative that explores themes of loneliness, acceptance, and the complexities of childhood through multiple branching paths. Players are encouraged to experience various endings to fully grasp the plot, which is rich with dark undertones and psychological depth, though some may find its pacing slow and the execution uneven, particularly in translation. Overall, the game is praised for its haunting storytelling and artistic presentation, making it a compelling choice for those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences.
- “Set in a small, quiet town called Little Haven, the game invites players into a beautifully crafted world filled with quirky characters and gentle storytelling.”
- “Themes of loneliness, acceptance, and the power of imagination are thoughtfully explored, often through subtle dialogue and environmental storytelling.”
- “It's a deep and moving story about loss and the monsters we create from ourselves.”
- “While Monsters of Little Haven excels in many areas, its slow pacing and emphasis on storytelling over gameplay might not appeal to everyone.”
- “Due to a combination of a poor translation, bad writing, and the developer seemingly expecting you to make specific choices on your first playthrough, the story ends up feeling very broken and left me very confused at points.”
- “The story is fragmented and characters don't really feel alive.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, featuring gentle melodies that evoke calm and wonder, and effectively complementing the visuals and narrative. While some players noted the soundtrack's repetitiveness and minimal sound effects, many found the music beautiful and integral to the immersive experience, with unique themes for each ending that left a lasting impression. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and ambiance.
- “The soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere, featuring gentle melodies that evoke a sense of calm and wonder.”
- “The music works hand in hand with the visuals and narrative, creating an immersive experience that encourages players to slow down and savor the moments spent in Little Haven.”
- “90% of the good atmosphere in this game is created by the soundtrack.”
- “Also, the music was the same all the time (except for some little parts), and the only sound effects the game has are 'thunder rumbling' and 'engine sound'. I also feel like the fact that the narrator narrates those sounds is shabby; I think you shouldn't be listening to the narrator saying 'thunder rumbling' or 'engine sound', but just noticing the sounds and guessing where they are coming from, or maybe only a text saying it.”
- “That, in conjunction with the black and white visuals, the music, and the fairly static imagery creates a feeling of intense sleepiness.”
- “Great art and soundtrack (although I personally didn't like the narrator's voice, so I turned it off).”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
23%
18%
The graphics of "Monsters of Little Haven" are widely praised for their whimsical art style and attention to detail, reminiscent of late 90s American 2D animation. The visuals effectively complement the game's emotional storytelling and themes, creating an immersive experience, although some players noted inconsistencies in the animation quality and background detail. Overall, while the aesthetic is charming and cohesive, opinions on the game's narrative engagement vary significantly.
- “Visually, the game shines with its whimsical art style and attention to detail.”
- “Lovely graphic art and character designs, and the artistic direction of early cartoon animation works wonderfully and is very cohesive with the set time period and themes of the story.”
- “I enjoyed the aesthetic and art direction.”
- “The drawings resemble late 90s American 2D animation movies, with more care on the characters than on the backgrounds or animation, but the 'grey filter' almost covers these problems while also adding points to the 50s aesthetics.”
- “The voice acting is irregular, typos galore, and the visuals don't show you anything happening.”
- “I appreciated the graphical style of the game and the earnest delivery of the English lines by the voice actor, but overall I was underwhelmed.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Monsters of Little Haven" is praised for its emotional storytelling, focusing on themes of friendship, acceptance, and childhood imagination, which resonate deeply with players. The game offers a heartfelt journey that, while sometimes clumsy in writing, effectively engages players through its touching narrative and charming art style. Overall, it stands out as a beautifully crafted adventure that evokes strong emotions, making it a memorable experience for those seeking a reflective and emotional gaming experience.
- “Monsters of Little Haven, developed and published by Missing Calm, is a charming and heartwarming narrative-driven adventure that explores themes of friendship, acceptance, and the complexities of childhood imagination.”
- “This emotional depth adds layers to what might otherwise be a simple adventure, making it resonate on a personal level with players.”
- “It's heartbreaking to play through routes that showcase the pain and anger your father holds due to his past, and then play through routes that force him to languish in those feelings.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay of "Monsters of Little Haven" primarily revolves around narrative interactions with townsfolk and monsters, resembling a visual novel format that emphasizes storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciate the engaging storyline, others criticize the slow pacing, lack of action, and mechanical issues like the absence of a "skip" option for repeated scenes. Overall, the experience may not satisfy those looking for dynamic gameplay or complex mechanics, as it largely consists of clicking through dialogue.
- “The gameplay centers around interactions with a diverse cast of townsfolk and the titular monsters that inhabit the nearby forest.”
- “While Monsters of Little Haven excels in many areas, its slow pacing and emphasis on storytelling over gameplay might not appeal to everyone.”
- “Those seeking action-packed sequences or complex mechanics may find the experience too tranquil or straightforward.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is predominantly shaped by its evocative soundtrack, which features gentle melodies that instill a sense of calm and wonder. The haunting visual style and dark, fable-like narrative further enhance this immersive experience, although some players note that the game's brevity detracts from its overall impact. Despite its short length, the combination of solid writing and atmospheric music successfully evokes strong emotions.
- “A short, atmospheric visual novel with a haunting style and a dark, almost fable-like story.”
- “Very solid writing, background music does a good job of building atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere, featuring gentle melodies that evoke a sense of calm and wonder.”
- “In my opinion, it contributes more to the atmosphere, and skipping over some dialogue doesn't feel as intrusive when the narrator's voice is just gibberish anyway.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development is highlighted by imaginative and approachable designs that blend fantasy with familiarity, making the characters feel integral to the world. While some reviews note a lack of dynamism in character designs, the cohesive artistic direction and narrative pacing contribute positively to the overall tone and immersion of the game.
- “Lovely graphic art and character designs, and the artistic direction of early cartoon animation works wonderfully and is very cohesive with the set time period and themes of the story.”
- “The character designs are imaginative yet approachable, striking a balance between fantasy and familiarity that makes the monsters feel like natural parts of this world rather than mere creatures to be feared or fought.”
- “The style is fine, even if the character designs are lackluster, and the many breaks for narration create a slow pace that hinders the game's overall engagement.”
- “Character development feels shallow and unfulfilling, leaving players wanting more depth and growth from the characters.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization for 100% completion in the game has been criticized, with users expressing dissatisfaction over its lack of efficiency and polish.
- “The game is not optimized for 100% completion, which is frustrating.”
- “Performance issues make the game feel unpolished and hinder the overall experience.”
- “The lack of optimization leads to frequent frame drops and long loading times.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the witty lines and the narrator's dramatic delivery, others find the overall experience lacking, leading to feelings of disappointment rather than amusement.
- “It made me laugh a good bit at some of the ridiculous lines and the narrator's dramatic reading of them, but as for the intended horror... nope.”
- “I'd say something witty or funny here but this game overall got me depressed, so, uhhh, 10/10.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers high replayability, encouraging players to explore different endings and piece together lore elements that may have been missed during their initial playthrough.
- “The game offers multiple endings and choices that encourage you to replay it and explore different outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough reveals new secrets and storylines, making it a joy to revisit.”
- “Very replayable with the incentive to piece together lore elements you might not have understood before finishing all endings.”
- “The game lacks significant changes in subsequent playthroughs, making it feel repetitive.”
- “Once you've experienced all the endings, there's little motivation to replay the game.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you ever read, whether it's 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', '2001: A Space Odyssey', or 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I found myself spending hours on tasks that felt more like chores than enjoyable gameplay, which really detracted from the overall experience.”

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Monsters of Little Haven is a action game.

Monsters of Little Haven is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Monsters of Little Haven.

Monsters of Little Haven was released on July 9, 2019.

Monsters of Little Haven was developed by Missing Calm.

Monsters of Little Haven has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Monsters of Little Haven is a single player game.

Similar games include Beacon Pines, The Letter, OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, Oxenfree, Lacuna and others.

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