Whitehaven

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Whitehaven is a single-player, retro-styled horror adventure game, taking place in the abandoned Whitehaven Orphanage. Uncover the mysteries of your past and delve into your mind by exploring the orphanage, collecting clues, and solving puzzles to reveal the events that led to the orphanage's closure. This psychological horror experience includes seizure warnings and is estimated to take about 1 hour to complete.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

Reviews

38%

Audience ScoreBased on 23 reviews

story6 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story with interesting symbolism and well-crafted puzzles that enhance the gameplay experience.
Sound design and voice acting are standout elements, contributing to an immersive atmosphere that adds to the overall enjoyment.
Despite its short length, the game offers a few genuinely creepy moments and a satisfying ending that provides closure.

The game is very short, typically taking around 30 to 50 minutes to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
Gameplay suffers from issues like looping corridors and puzzles that can be frustratingly vague, leading to confusion and a lack of engagement.
Technical problems such as low brightness, unsmooth camera movement, and a lack of essential options (like key rebinding) detract from the overall experience.

story
17 mentions
35 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its interesting narrative and immersive pacing, though some feel it rushes towards the end and leaves certain plot points underexplained. While the game is described as having a short story length, it features clever puzzles that enhance the storytelling experience, and the voice acting is noted as a strong point. Overall, the narrative shows potential, with some players expressing a desire for more content and depth in future installments.
- “For me though, the story and the pace of the game itself felt immersive enough to not only keep me playing, but to leave me wanting more information about what went down.”
- “Voice acting, and the story is really well made, interesting puzzles, does not rely on cheap jump scares.”
- “The story was fantastic and I even got a few scares from it.”
- “The story wrapped itself up pretty well... but then I thought the actual game was gonna start... and then I got end credits.”
- “I’ve read that it can come off as the length of a demo which I concur, but I think it’d be more accurate to regard it as a short story.”
- “Played this for an hour and a half and it was finished, just running around fetching things. I've played longer demos; this could be a brilliant game with a bit more content and story to it.”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects are generally praised for their quality and ability to enhance immersion, particularly when using headphones. However, the lack of volume control options is a notable drawback, with some players finding the looping background music repetitive and frustrating during challenging gameplay segments. Overall, the soundtrack and voice acting are considered above average for an indie game, reflecting the developers' strong collaborative choices.
- “The music and sound effects do a great job when you are playing with a good set of headphones.”
- “The voice acting and soundtrack were very good, above the usual indie game fare, so the developers know how to pick collaborators.”
- “Music and design create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “The music and sound are standouts for me, but not having the option to control the volume settings is a bit of a letdown.”
- “The background music that loops was getting annoying quite quickly with no option to turn it off, and it made it worse being stuck on the moon puzzle with it constantly.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while it successfully creates an immersive experience through music and design, some critics argue that the reliance on pervasive darkness detracts from its overall effectiveness. Despite this, the commitment to establishing a solitary ambiance is appreciated by some players.
- “On the one hand, it’s laudable that they stuck to their guns and focused on establishing a solitary atmosphere.”
- “Music and design create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “I thought the atmosphere and look of the game were great.”
- “The overused, permeating darkness in this and other modern horror titles is a fallacy and a sin of faulty game design rather than contributing to the atmosphere.”
- “While it's commendable that they focused on establishing a solitary atmosphere, it ultimately falls flat.”
- “The atmosphere feels more like a gimmick than an immersive experience, failing to engage the player.”
graphics
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are polarizing; while some users appreciate the smooth performance and find the visuals appealing, others criticize them as outdated and indicative of a low-budget production. Additionally, the lack of graphic settings and manual save options detracts from the overall experience.
- “The game has good graphics and runs very smoothly, and I found the story itself rather interesting.”
- “This is just another boring low-budget first-person indie horror game with outdated graphics and gameplay that feels like an adventure game in a cheap horror house with scares that often make no sense at all.”
- “There are also no graphic settings, no manual save, and checkpoints are very far away.”
gameplay
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being dull and reminiscent of low-budget first-person indie horror games, featuring outdated graphics and nonsensical scares. Players find the puzzle mechanics lacking in guidance, leading to repetitive backtracking once the solution is discovered.
- “The gameplay is engaging and keeps you on your toes, with a variety of challenges that require both strategy and quick thinking.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive, allowing for a smooth learning curve that makes it easy to jump right in and start enjoying the experience.”
- “Each level introduces new elements that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting, ensuring that players remain invested throughout.”
- “This is just another boring low-budget first-person indie horror game with outdated graphics and gameplay that feels like an adventure game in a cheap horror house, with scares that often make no sense at all.”
- “There is one puzzle that leaves a little to be desired in terms of guidance, but once you figure out the mechanic, it's pretty much just going back and forth until you get it right.”