Haven Moon

Haven Moon
N/A
Metacritic
77
Steam
71.345
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$9.99
Release date
8 July 2016
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
77 (536 votes)

Haven Moon will transport you to a mysterious world where you have to explore abandoned islands and solve their secrets to find a treasure. In this Myst-like game inspired by Jules Verne’s universe, use your senses and intelligence to find your way through secret passages and curious machinery.

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Haven Moon system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel core i5
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Intel HD 4000
  • Storage: 1500 MB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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MyFoot
MyFoot

If you enjoyed Myst, or any of the cyan worlds games. This might be up your alley.
Its heavily inspired by myst, and feels very similar. I found this game looking through postings for games similar to myst.
Its an impressive game for a single developer.

The length is on par with one of the books from the myst games, not super challenging but not rail roading either. Though some puzzles are trail and error, and some are sound based.

If you are looking for a small 2-3 hour puzzler, id say go for it.

Myster_Dan
Myster_Dan

Myst-like games are my favorite games, and this game is worthy.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Loved this game, got to the end with the help of my 9 year old :-)

inquizator
inquizator

Nice Graphics But Annoying and Boring.
Hard to move around, 1990's through back.
Cannot which OFF music or background NOISE.
Mouse Keyboard controls to move around, Green Dot indicates something to do.

raylbry
raylbry

I really enjoyed this puzzle game. The nostalgic hints of myst and a good variety of puzzle difficulty.
A higher than expected 'to-ing and fro-ing' made game play a tad tedious at times but all in all, great puzzle play, very nice graphics and a lot of fun.

Yarusenai
Yarusenai

This is obviously a labor of love, but it just isn't very fun. That's mostly because there isn't much to it. I got stuck a bit at two puzzles because I didn't (and still don't) know where I was supposed to find the hints to solving them - and it still took me slightly less than 3 hours to finish it. If you are good at games like this, and maybe a bit more observant than me, it will probably only take you two hours.

The game's playing space is not very big and a lot of time is spent running back and forth between teleporters and loading screens. The story is very basic, not much to say about it. The walking is also very choppy - it almost feels like you are moving on a very fine grid and don't have free movement. Hard to explain. The puzzles - well, maybe I am not observant enough, as mentioned, but I have not understood some of the puzzles and could not find any hints in the very small world. There is also some hunting for hidden switches, which is annoying.

Overall, I can't say that I hated it, but I think it is too much for full price, it is a bit confusing in it's very few puzzles and overall, you can just play better. There is not much to it, but with a more fleshed out idea, more polish and a deeper / bigger concept, though, it would have been entertaining. Get it on a very big sale if you like this kind of game.

PiT
PiT

It's... alright... I guess? It has a nice atmosphere though

Greywolf
Greywolf

Clearly inspired by Myst, with a limited scale of nice visuals and atmosphere. 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.
I don't recommend it because of inadequate clues that make it impossible to complete without resorting to external hints / walkthroughs.

Dragonzlayer71
Dragonzlayer71

This game is compared to Myst, i haft to disagree clues are sometimes to subtle and more on the frustrating side not the adventure and discovery side

UniversalSuperBox
UniversalSuperBox

Short and sweet Mystlike that's dripping with passion and a neat message at the end.

A few things that could be improved for your next project:

* Consider adding "reader mode" that replaces or supplements the script font with more readable text. I love the feel of the script font, but had trouble taking in the information.
* Use light to guide the player to their objective. I missed many rooms (including the *two* necessary rooms at the cannon and the second location for each elevator) simply because I couldn't see them.
* Even in a short experience, the transit time with each method of transportation led me to lose my train of thought. Consider adding an option to skip the transit animations after traveling to a place for the first time.

Thank you so much for this experience!

sorcerro2
sorcerro2

Bad. Just bad. This commits most of the sins of puzzle games. This is the type of game where you say 'I found all the clues and it still doesn't make sense' instead of 'Oh! I just missed that clue!'.

Movement is clunky and awkward and it makes the pixal hunting parts of this 'game' awful. Some of the 'puzzles' are just trial and error until you get it corrrect. You have to control a number of machines and they all are setup in a stupid way. For instance you have a telescope that you rotate. Can you go up from 359 degrees to 0? NO! You have to go all the way back around, going down from 359 to 0, and it takes forever.

In another part you need to input a specific number but you can't see the number from the controls. You have to go back and forth between the two! This terrible planning occurs throughout the game and is indicative of the overall quality.

Probably the worst aspect is the the game gives wrong information!!! It tells you to do something that is demonstrably wrong. Only looking up a walkthrough did I discover the game used the wrong word in its directions. Awful.

I wouldn't intentionally inflict this non-sense on anyone.

jeff_strongman
jeff_strongman

I really admire the developer who made this pretty much single-handedly (let's not forget the testers though, eh? :) )
Nice graphics, really nice music. However, I'm afraid I cannot recommend this game with all my heart. First of all, there are quite a few bugs like getting stuck through a door and I had to resort to editing the game's Windows registry entries to avoid starting from scratch. But this is kind of expected taking into account the low price and the very small team behind it. The most disappointing thing was some really poorly designed puzzles. Not enough clues, pixel hunting, lots of guessing and near the end just illogical. Nevertheless, kudos to the team!

celr
celr

This game has a lot to recommend it, not the least of which are the graphics...you feel you're in a real place with real atmosphere. Quite a lot of care went into the design here. The world is limited in scope but quite a lot considering. I enjoyed exploring this world, what there was of it, for some time.

But then things got sticky...the puzzles are obscure to say the least. In fact I think some of them are cheating. Especially the one shrouded in darkness where you have to figure out a very counterintuitive system of wires and switches where it's very difficult to see what's going on. I had no idea where to begin and trial and error appeared to produce no results. I had to look it up. Yes, there is a solution, but it's so counterintuitive that it made me quit in disgust. In other words, the weird system of wires and switches can have no logical or practical application except to confuse the player. Actions in one part of the world effect things on other parts but you can only know by trial and error, not by logic.

I wanted to like this game but I think the puzzles are not well designed, and puzzles are what this game is about. The setting is gorgeous and evocative but the puzzles leave something to be desired.

Baszahatizsak
Baszahatizsak

I feel so sorry for this game. It creates an amazing, beautiful atmosphere, and you can tell that the creator's heart and soul is in it. I also love the symbolism of the story as it turns out at the end. But it has SO F__KED UP HARD "PUZZLES" - they are not even puzzles, they are almost like pixel hunting. There were about 5 points in the game where I felt it was basically impossible to find the solution without a walkthrough. It pushed me so much into frustration that overall it has ruined my experience. And I'm not the type that gives up quickly. I enjoy spending time in games, walking and looking around, looking at every detail. I think these are objectively design flaws, and again, I feel really sorry about them, because I LOVED the atmosphere.

Snuggable
Snuggable

This is a beautiful world but game play is lacking. Too much convoluted navigation to achieve mediocre goals. The puzzles need more feedback so that you know you've accomplished something when you figure something out. I spent a lot of time post solve of given puzzles wandering around wondering what I did wrong not realizing that I had figured it out. Getting up the spiral staircases took way too much precision. There were too few total puzzles and too few clues lying around. A lot of the breakthroughs were just wandering around clicking random things hoping it would do something with no clue found in game. 9/10 world building. 4/10 game play. Thanks for all the hard work!!

ROKDAWG [ROK]
ROKDAWG [ROK]

Its apparent that the creator was a Myst Fan. Attention to detail, atmosphere, and smooth mechanics. I would stall once in a while with the highest settings but nothing that affected game play. Its my rig. I read a negative review that complained about "Pixel Hunting" and though that's an exaggeration, I agree there are a couple of times when I had to find a hint online - the triggers for maybe two events seem to be random and DOES involve lots of 'scanning' till your cursor/dot turns green.

For example a key hidden in a bedpost with no hints to even look for it. I mean you do see an illustration of the key you don't have in book at some point; but there's not a logical way to connect it to a bedpost of even that room. And the clickable area WAS small. The same for a single rivet among many that opened a door- that's about it though - everything was beautiful - a good fun 2-3 hours for a Myst Fan - and You can call me Mr.Myster =O)

HoboTeddy
HoboTeddy

PROS: The graphics are beautiful and the music and sounds are quite nice.

CONS: The actual game delivers way less than it promises. The story is very lacking, the puzzles are mediocre, and the feeling of exploration and discovery just isn't there. The ending is sudden and jarring, with unsatisfying answers and some mysteries left unsolved.

ZapperJet
ZapperJet

Has a great visual style, though much of it seems to copy from Myst / Riven with a touch of Siberia thrown in. Puzzles are good all around. Definitely challenging enough. However, some are not super intuitive (throw lever here, action happens out of view). Backstory is at least engaging enough to get you through the game.

Also super awesome that it was made with Blender :)

captainsadness
captainsadness

A beautiful game, but the "puzzles" were a let down. Really just a bunch of hunting for minutiae and lucky guessing. Nothing thoughtful.

Peterwilli
Peterwilli

While I do love the game and the environment, the lack of audiovisual feedback if you did a puzzle right or not, nor the lack of a real story except letters you find here and there, makes it very hard to figure out what to do.

I cannot play this game without a walkthrough. If you're interested in steampunk exploration, then yes this is a great game, but unless you manage to somehow already know what you have to do, I wish you good luck. That or I'm really dumb.

Ehss
Ehss

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. If you really need a Myst fix, this might help you out. But if you want a really highly worth-while game, look elsewhere.

JC4848
JC4848

You can feel the love put into this. It didn't really grip me that much in terms of its puzzles, but it's nice. Very pretty.

DarkJoey247
DarkJoey247

Loved this game! Reminded me of Riven and Myst (which I believe is the point). Would love to see a sequel to this!
10/10

ian.s
ian.s

Well, I miss Myst and especially Riven and this game offers a very similar experience, at least on an atmospheric level. I strongly recommend this game to Myst fans, however keep in mind that IMHO, a couple of puzzles could have been designed a bit better in order not to be misleading. At the end, it seemed to me that it required more observation and pixel hunting than intelligence to solve this game, where in Myst series happened the opposite.

7 out of 10

davidr
davidr

Beautiful looking and intriguing game with good interaction with the environment. I would have been lost without markzwaan's guide which was just the right amount of info to avoid frustration and without big spoilers. I never did work out the T puzzle and had to look for the cheat, however!

christopher586
christopher586

The graphics and music are beautiful, and there's a certain enjoyment to simply walking around. On the other hand, the progression through the game seems neither intuitive nor logical. I had to use the walkthrough for much of it because it didn't make much sense to me. For example, I was supposed to set a lever to a certain position, but I have no idea why that certain position was the appropriate one.

Arkunstone
Arkunstone

If you are a fan of the Myst games, and have been looking for another game that has that vibe, this game is a winner. its simple, built by just one guy, but while short, it is well built, and beautiful. Definitely worth the play.

jorja79
jorja79

Good blend of relaxing and mentally stimulating. Enjoyed the atmosphere and story. Good game.

user28011985
user28011985

Beautiful, beautiful game! The bad reviews only justified me wanting to play the game even more. Haven Moon creates a feeling only a handful of games can create. You don't need to complete it, you don't need to make sense of it. This game allows the viewer to immerse themselves in a simulation that has depth and makes you get lost in the art. For me playing games is about escapism and this game does that and the fact that this was made by one person amplifies that this is a special game. My only criticism is for Steam not being able to work out that this is the kind of game I want to play...

garyhugo
garyhugo

A short (Real) Myst style adventure with wonderful graphics and audio. A pleasure to play though a couple things you need to find to advance are not all that obvious, and can lead you to get stuck. I resorted to a walk-through to get by two hurdles for which I just did not notice the actionable item despite what I believed to be a thorough search of the pertinent areas. If you are luckier or more skillful than myself, you may complete the game in less than the 6 hours (i.e., short) it took me to reach both of the two possible endings.

Anonymous
Anonymous

A good game worthy of the Myst tradition. Congratulations to the author.
More when you can please!

fermat543
fermat543

Some issues with very annoying movement which was not smooth and made it difficult to enjoy the game, i thought it was nonetheless a good game to play.

Hussard
Hussard

If you are someone like me who was looking for something that has that same vibe Myst has, Haven Moon certainly delivers it. Solitude, multiple locations to unlock and visit, no dialogues, no timer. I just wish it were longer: suddenly, without me even expecting it or any growing anticipation, the game ended.

Fae
Fae

Haven Moon is very like Myst in content but lacks the hints that Myst guided the player on with...little triggers helped for ideas on how the puzzles worked... this game is void of any indications on where hints are and for the life me I could not find any co-ordinates until almost the end of the game. I did try using the telescope but it failed to indicate any locations bar one. Even a green light would have helped. There is very little content to the game so it is over too soon...leaving a feeling of disillusionment and having to play again to get the other ending for the achievements ... I do not like having to play a game twice to experience the entire game. It is a good game for a person who wants to while away some time and the graphics are really good. On that basis I do recommend it to others but with a caution not to expect too much. This game is on the way to being really good if ever updated and filled with more content.

Plasmarif
Plasmarif

Very short Myst clone but really scratches the itch. Looks good and some interesting puzzles.

Dragonteeth
Dragonteeth

You can definitely see the Myst inspiration. None of the puzzles were super complicated, though there is a bit of back-and-forthing between locations if you miss a crucial piece. Overall a great game for puzzle lovers.

mad*scientist
mad*scientist

I loved this game! It has great sound affects and gorgeous scenery. The puzzles took a bit of thinking but I did not have to consult anybody else's guide/youtube video/ walkthru to get there for once.
There was a bug which seems to have been there since the beginning which stops all progress if you get into the small area concerned and had to seek help to get out of it.
I will probably go back to this game occasionally just for the soundscape, to enjoy the ambience. As a Myst fanatic, very satisfying to play.

kelly01010
kelly01010

I'm a Myst fan too and appreciated the throwback. Tough puzzles but was enjoyable (just like Myst!). The game looks fantastic and played smoothly without errors. Loved the 'good' ending! Hope you make another!

thomasg86
thomasg86

Great little puzzle game in the spirit of Myst. I have a few quibbles, but they are mostly minor and the fact that this was largely done by one person is stunning. It's not overly long, but it is a fun, interesting couple of hours. The score was also pretty great!

evolgenius81
evolgenius81

If you like the Myst games you'll like this. The puzzles aren't as deep as Myst, mainly logistics problems, and basic puzzles that are pretty laid out to you in the notes you read. But, there is just enough of a "gap" where you have to figure it out. I'm looking very forward to the next game when the formula is perfected. :)

For being a MYST-like game, I give it a 7/10, with an overall 7/10

Also, there are two endings for you to choose from. Remember to read the first note that you found from time to time because i'ts easy to forget what ur doing on that island in the first place looking for.

Myst Explorer
Myst Explorer

Good graphics and sound. Game play is reminiscent of the Myst series.

kykex
kykex

Let's be honest: I give it a thumb up only because I'm a big Myst (and Myst-like) fan, and also because this game was created by only one person.

It's important also to precise that, contrary to what Steam says, it's obviously not a point and click, it's your classic "I can move around and look at 360 degrees" exploration game.

The atmosphere is great, it's definitely working with great graphics and cool music. However there aren't many islands and, honestly, there isn't much to do on them. Hence the very short life of the game (less than 5 hours of me and I got stuck twice because of some weird gameplay i'll explain just after).

There's little to no puzzle in reality and it's just some going back and forth between islands. But what really pissed me off, is that I got stuck twice because I dismissed a spot I've already noticed but wasn't actually working. Well... It turns out the spot was the right place to look, but it wasn't "activated" yet because it was just a bit too early in the game. The problem is I never checked that spot back because I thought it wasn't a thing, until I checked the walkthrough and shouted "omg but I already checked that it's not working!", well it is when the time is right >:( and that happened to me twice!

So that's my point: if you find the place where the keyhole is but don't have the key yet, shouldn't the spot be revealed anyway? It makes no sense to render the keyhole-spot inactivated, that just throws me off course!

here's the 2 spoilers of what got me stuck: I noticed the place where the boat is (at the base) was pretty deep, with stairs going down. I tried to check the place but guess what: you cannot go down! I thought it wasn't an actual spot.... Until it was >:( And the other one was even worst: When at the house I heard the hissing sound coming off the bolt. That bolt was bigger, shinier than the others and it had hinges on it. It felt obvious there was something with that bolt, that I could open it, but no, it was just an element of decor... That is, until you actually get the key, then suddenly you can open the thing and discover a keyhole -__-'' , something I never did, because I had already concluded that bolt wasn't a clue.

And because of those 2 things, I had to do something I hate when playing those games: looking at a walkthrough, and I had to do it twice, with the same shocking discovery that something wasn't logical about the game!

Oh and talking about logic, the story isn't always very clear. With plot holes (how did I ever get into a teleporter on my planet to get there in the first place?) and inconsistencies (if the teleporters have to face each others, how can the one at the cannon be INSIDE a building) etc etc. I dunno I was never clear on why I was really here and what that dude wanted to show me / explain to me.

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 otherwordly atmosphere, but if you're not a fan, you're not gonna have fun with it, I guarantee you!

Anonymous
Anonymous

I regret having to rate this game with only a thumbs up or down. Out of 10 I would give it a 5. The graphics are stunning, especially considering that the creator claims to have done all the work himself. It's obviously a work of love, as he tries to create another Myst. But the gameplay is too short (about 5 hours for me), and not always logical. Many puzzles don't make sense. Even after solving them using a walkthrough, I still don't understand the solution or how you were supposed to figure it out except trial and error. Also the "good" ending and "bad" ending are not that different. Buy this game only if it's on a great sale.

RockBottom
RockBottom

Could have been longer but overall a good level of difficulty with the exception of the puzzle on the house island. A hint to what we were supposed to do here would have been good or at least the removal of having to having to divert the steam to the right place.

lorelei_s
lorelei_s

A very pleasant exploration game in the style of Myst. 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. Also, the game is not too long, providing an enjoyable diversion for a couple of evenings without becoming tiresome. One small caveat, though: the navigation system is not as smooth as I would have liked and it took a little while to become comfortable with it. 8.5/10

ctom
ctom

Very good design with thoughtful and logical puzzles. It's very very short though.

Doctor Dome
Doctor Dome

Good puzzle game and good experience overall. There are a couple bad puzzles that almost require a guide but this feels a lot like classic Myst.

7/10

siskax07
siskax07

I feel quite sad that I cannot recommend Haven Moon to other fans of the puzzle point&click game genre.

The game is absolutely gorgeous, but there is almost no gameplay. No puzzles to solve (and no, turning valves, pressing buttons, and trial and error exercises do not count as puzzles). There are several islands, but there is almost nothing to do or discover.
Maybe this game would have been much better as a walking simulator (heavy on story and light on action) ?

To end on a positive note : I loved the homage to Blender (Suzanne). =)

MrZeebub
MrZeebub

I would accept the simple fact that I'm not smart enough to play this game, but when I looked at the walkthrough for the game I was left thinking "oh. Well, that's stupid/frustrating." I don't think this game does a great job of respecting the player's time.

Also, there's no options to speak of. You can invert the mouse, and adjust the sensitivity, but that's it. No brightness, no volume, no FOV. NOTHING.

That's a big NO from me.

LoadingVern
LoadingVern

This is a very good "myst like" game and I hardly ever say these games are myst-like.

Great looking game and some puzzles had me stumped for a while. (never use guides, it ruins it) The ending is particularly good but overall this ticks all the boxes apart from being longer of course but doesnt matter.

christifern
christifern

I enjoyed this game very much. It was a great reminder of Myst and Riven.

Anonymous
Anonymous

A gorgeous and serene throwback to the Myst era. The puzzles are well balanced. The feel of the game is like Tesla-punk, if that is a thing. Many of the puzzles are trying to get the machines to work and thus it feels less game-y.

kevinjo
kevinjo

Very Very short game. Myst like in every sense. Very little plot. A lot of wasted props and eye candy. Very difficult to get started and kind of cheesy where one of the keys was planted. Probably thought was cute but leads you down a very tedious path he may of not intended. If you played MYST, you should achieve all the achievements with very little effort. Just takes time as you know. Give it a 6/10 stars and do recommend. For 1 person, did a heck of a job creating.

animucks
animucks

I just loved playing this game. You totally can loose yourself in the gorgeous landscape and music. Immersive gameplay, astonishing graphics, easy to navigate. Although it is a short game, you can spend hours trying to figure out, what to do with all the contraptions, so this is one game for hart-core explorers who love to stretch their brain muscles. Do yourself a favor and do not spoil the experience ro often with walkthroughs and quick solutions. It will totally ruin your gaming experience. Use them only, if you really get stuck. I would love to see a sequel to this game.

imason
imason

This is a pretty solid puzzle game. If you love Myst and have already played those, then you can get an additional Myst fix with Haven Moon.

jillian.reck
jillian.reck

Good game, some frustrating puzzles, but overall well done.

Ganlo
Ganlo

Reminded me alot of Riven which is actually the first Myst game i played way back on my dads mac laptop. it was short and sweet and well worth a play if you like these types of games

dj.re
dj.re

This is a very beautiful made game especially for a single developer. The vibe is nice, very similar to Myst. Beautifully rendered. Well done in that aspect but overall, the game lacks the depth and thought of Myst and Riven. There's really no story (lack of backstory) and lack of a thoughtful ending. There's also only one world unlike Myst where there are multiple "ages" and each "age" having it's own unique feel and environment. The puzzles are more like trial and error... The constant back and forth really got annoying since there's no real difference in any of the different areas of the game. As for the "puzzles", really not very intuitive or logical. I had to look up on guide... and was like "how the **** are you supposed to figure that out or even think to look for that". In Myst there were clues to set you forth, here there are some clues that do and the rest is really just trial and error. Myst still captivates me today. Still wondering of the worlds of Myst and beyond... but this game... "Yea... so that's it." The ending was very bland and disappointing. If you were truly captivated by Myst, I feel like you'd be disappointed in this game. But if you are a fan of adventure puzzle games, then i think you would enjoy this game.

drahid
drahid

Beautiful game, very Myst like. Found the puzzles tricky, as some actions needed you to leave that particular location and go to another: some clues very obscure. I did need the odd nudge, but all in all an excellent enjoyable game.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Fun and creative. Mostly linear but a good story and a nice challenge

Simon5Six7
Simon5Six7

Short, but beautiful. Very few hints on what to do next, but if that's what you like, this is great! Very myst-y, steampunky look. I enjoyed myself!

FaroucheExegete
FaroucheExegete

Short enjoyable game with beautiful graphics.

Futhark
Futhark

Great myst-like. I appreciated the time put into this. Great intuitive puzzles (make sure you have your headset on for one of them though...). Well Done!

delcolux
delcolux

Lovely visuals/environs/designs/architecture. Decent puzzles and really cool mechanisms. Only major complaint is the Unity Antialiasing is really terrible. Recommend running nVidia DSR or AMD VSR to supersample and take some of the rough edges off.

orativbor
orativbor

Haven Moon is a great game! It has a beautifully-crafted world, clearly a labor of love by the creator. As long as you keep your eyes and ears open, you should have no trouble. There were a couple spots that tripped me up mostly because I wasn't paying attention. It's by no means as challenging as the Myst series (which had infuriatingly difficult puzzles), but that's ok! If anything, I would almost recommend Haven Moon to anyone thinking about playing a Myst-like game; this game is a great intro to the genre. If I could level one disappointment against it, it's that it was so short! But being a programmer myself, I know how long these things take to make, and I think the designer made the right call - put out a finished, high-quality product; success!

Super Dario
Super Dario

I wish I could give it a 50/50.

As much as I admire the work of just one developer, this game felt a bit too tedious to me.
It's still a good experience if you're really into MYST-like puzzle games.

PlutoniumBoss
PlutoniumBoss

A good puzzle adventure in the vein of Myst. Some puzzles are a little obscure, look at your surroundings closely.

PatchSavage
PatchSavage

Overall, I recommend, especially at the current price.

This game is very well made and visually pleasing considering it was designed by one person, with a few play testers and a seperate composer. If you have a proper machine it should run just fine - I do not so I experienced a little lag in the cannon area when dealing with the condensers - lotta polygons there I guess. "Vernian Mystlike" is a very accurate description and the game is approachable even if you aren't very familiar with the genre, thanks to its familiar mechanics and relatively short scope - I played through it in about 3 hours.

Good value for money as currently priced. I'd like to see what else this developer has done.

Arch Stanton
Arch Stanton

If you yearn for that classic Myst experience of exploring foreign land and figuring out what to do, you can´t go wrong with this one. The author´s love for the genre is clear.

shemkhobali
shemkhobali

Tries to myst but doesnt make any sense. pretty, but not enough indication what a puzzle does making it a "walk-through sim"instead of a puzzle game.5/10

phil
phil

The author makes no secret of the influence of Myst on his creation. Similarities are there, but on a smaller scale - there is only one world to explore. Locations are all pretty similar. The puzzles are much easier than those of the Myst series, with the exception of one near the end. This sadly, I found rather too obscure to be solvable without recourse to a walkthrough. Even after I was given the next step, it left me none the wiser - there was no hint or explanation in the game that defines the purpose of the associated machinery and therefore you cannot employ logical deduction to solve it. As you'd expect there is a fair bit of to-ing and fro-ing between locations that may become tedious for some. The key to solving most of the puzzles is to observe your surroundings and read what is provided. Sadly, unlike Myst, the locations are not engaging or beautiful enough to hold the player's attention for long enough to notice some important details.
That said, I found it an enjoyable few hours experience and do not regret buying it.

JolanXBL
JolanXBL

Beautiful adventure akin to Myst and Riven, but with many obfuscated puzzles, if that's using the word correctly.
Often you have to click on a bolt or symbol that's not like the others, but only after it's been activated by something else. Like the bedpost is only clickable after you flip a switch. Myst Island's power puzzle gives you a screen that shows the value of each button you press, but Haven Moon will have you running around Brute-Forcing that one.

Myst's main story guy, Atrus, would draw lots of sketches highlighting his inventions. If there was something to do with the light on top of a building in the snow area, he'd draw a light on top of a building in the snow area. Did you know that the T logo on every island is actually important? Also, be sure to wear headphones or you might miss a couple audio cues.

It's a good little game, and great for thinking about your own project on what works and what could be very frustrating.

Pixie
Pixie

Nice lightweight Myst-inspired game. Knocked it out in about 2 hours and bought it for the price of a movie ticket, so it feels like I got my money's worth tbh. Really satisfying environments.

landofozgirl
landofozgirl

I hadn't played a Myst like game in a while so was intrigued. I like games that make you think. I like puzzles that are logical and fair. This game had me resorting to walkthroughs quite frequently as I never knew if I missed a clue (most of the time I didn't) or if the answer was random selection. Or what I was supposed to be doing in general. The graphics were great, it ran perfectly. I just wish the puzzles would have been about finding clues and making deductions. I am torn about recommending it but I was impressed that one guy did it on his own.

traceyshellito
traceyshellito

While I totally admit buying this for how it looks and slavishly following a guide (since i had no idea what to do and it really doesn't hold your hand) it was a short sweet little story. If you like puzzles with a dash of steam punk science fiction, and have a few hours to kill this is the game for you. Its inexpensive, made with love and runs smoothly at high resolution without stuttering or dropping frame fates.

Dr. Adam
Dr. Adam

THE Myst clone

As of last month, you can buy an HD reimagining of Myst on Steam. Now, as somebody who rarely pays more than $5 for a Steam game, you can bet that I'm not going to be buying Myst until at least a couple of year's time. If you're like me, and are patiently waiting for that price to drop, in the meantime, I recommend you play through Haven Moon.

Haven Moon is a beautiful game. The setting is sometimes serene, and other times mysterious and imposing. The graphics are pretty stunning, and with no HUD to interfere with your view of the world around you, everything feels just that smidge more immersive. Finding a way to reach each new location is a satisfying discovery.

The soundtrack and sound design are subtle but brilliant. Occasional orchestral swells enhance the feeling of wonderment, and the ambient sound of the weather shifts the mood between areas.

Haven Moon wasn't particularly long, but it might have been considerably longer if I hadn't looked up a certain solution at one point. Playtime will likely begin to stack up if you get stuck on a section. I'll leave a hint here in case you find yourself in a similar situation to myself at some point: BOLT. Otherwise, everything logically fell into place, and progress felt earned rather than random. The key to success is to stop and observe your environment as often as possible, and the visuals of the otherworldly setting make it much more tempting to do so of your own accord.

The world of Haven Moon draws you in, and keeps you on the hook throughout. It's inspired by Myst, but stands on its own as a well-executed, self-contained adventure.

8/10

cabbyhat
cabbyhat

Pretty, but multiple puzzles that have absolutely no indication of their solution in game, so it's unsolvable without hours of brute-forcing or keeping a walkthrough open. What little narrative there is is heavy-handed (tries to do the classic Myst two ending options, but with none of the ambiguity, problem solving or clever clues that make the good ending in a Myst game satisfying to get) and internally inconsistent. Overall just leaves a frustrating impression.

Kodachini / Naturna
Kodachini / Naturna

It does remind of Myst a lot. It is a lot shorter, linear and not as difficult though. I do enjoy games like this immensely. It is stunning and a joy to walk around in.

cadmiummangantellurid
cadmiummangant…

First things first: I'd recommend it for it's audio-visual quality, not for it's puzzle design. The visual quality is awesome, thanks to the underlying unity3d engine too, and the soundtrack is enhancing the atmosphere very good. The puzzle design is - well, even die rock hard Myst game players will need a walkthrough sooner or later, since (at least 2) puzzles are a bit illogical and not solvable by thinking straight and combining what has been learned by hints (which the game is quite stingy with) and examination of environment, but by pure trial and error. The story is - well, not really important, where it's told it's mostly only for giving clues, and serves only as a frame for the game levels. The game could have become more, but for now it's enjoyable as a piece of artistic work.

JoeMD
JoeMD

While I appreciate the tribute to the brilliant Myst series, unfortunately the game is simply too obtuse for its own good. Accuse me of being stupid if you like, but even after reading I guide I could not see the logic in many of the "solutions." It's also incredibly short. It looks beautiful, but that's about all it has going for it.

weirdsews
weirdsews

I found this to be a beautiful game. I was really stumped on it for a long time so I decided to just use a walkthrough and casually enjoy it instead of push myself to figure everything out. A lot of the gameplay time is just spent wandering around. So often I felt like I knew what I needed to do but it takes so much time just to get from place to place that I found it a little frustrating so, glancing at a walkthrough every once in a while to make sure I wasn't just wandering around aimlessly was nice. (I did some aimless wandering anyway, just because it's quite calm and lovely)

Äggmedskägg
Äggmedskägg

This game is a very impressive one man effort. It's beautiful and well designed, and does evoke that Myst feeling all these games strive for. So if you are a fan of this type of game, you might want to play through it.

However, the puzzle design isn't good. You can't solve puzzles you don't know exist. And the Myst type puzzles often rely on flipping a switch and checking of something changed. But if the switch is in one place, and the thing you suspect/hope it changed requires you to first teleport, then change another switch, then teleport, then go by airship and then check if something changed, and if it didn't, reverse the whole thing just to try the next setting? Sorry, that's not enjoyable, it's just annoying.

And one puzzle required me to notice that in a place, full of wind and wave noise, that there now was another noise source in a specific place that wasn't there before after switching a handle. Let that be a hint for you, because I certainly didn't notice it but had to resort to a walkthrough.

Myst fans might want to do just that. Buy the game, play it with walkthrough in hand, and enjoy the scenery. Because the puzzles aren't enjoyable.

KelpTheGreat
KelpTheGreat

Quite an enjoyable Myst-like experience. Pretty short, but it really scratches that old-school PC adventure gaming itch. I think it's a good game.

Candy Candytron
Candy Candytron

i quite liked this game. It's short - took me less than an afternoon to beat. It's simplistic - quite a few of the puzzles are "notice something in the environment" or "dial to the correct radio station". And yet, the atmosphere really evoked Myst and - for a sale price of $5 - really grabbed me.

kelraith
kelraith

I need a part 2! What happened to the guy when he went to explore. What was the final collapse of his world?
Very fun game and a little short, but brilliantly done.

TheHarryLime
TheHarryLime

Somewhat shorter and easier than Myst and others, but a worthy entry into the genre. It's a very fun play through with some excellent world design and story.

Ubercode
Ubercode

It has the same feeling as myst (specifically riven) as you move throughout the game. It is significantly shorter though, and there is quite a bit of moving between locations to solve puzzles.

der_eda
der_eda

Get Quern instead

Haven Moon isn't a downright terrible Myst clone, but still not a recommendable one. It's short, not very exciting and somewhat flawed.
If you're desperate for puzzle games and still wanna play it, here's some advice:
- Don't play the German localization. The translation is awful and misleading. Careful reading is crucial though.
- Do look around carefully. Some of the interactive objects are easy to miss, as they either don't look interactive or they're obscured by darkness. And yeah, it doesn't help that a ton of interactive-looking assets are decorative only.

...I can only hope that that one letter literally referring to the wrong island is a mistake exclusive to the German translation.

Phosphenes
Phosphenes

short Myst-like puzzle game. Lore is surprisingly well done.

Bucktown
Bucktown

Short but sweet!

Haven moon is very straightforward about being inspired by Myst, which is great. You know exactly what to expect ahead of time. Beautiful landscapes, environmental puzzles, cross-area puzzles, and a narrative you want to discover more about.

While short, everything in the game works. The puzzles are challenging, without feeling unfair, and there was a good narrative payoff at the conclusion. It captures most of what I love about the Myst series and distills it to a tight package.

A must play for the Narrative Puzzle Adventure fan!

V
V

Hard. In a good way. I promised myself to come back to this game when I think about it, but somehow I keep forgetting about it.

rx7chick
rx7chick

Haven Moon had such great potential. I spent 2 long days immersed in this beautiful world. But then I began to understand, I was going to have to go outside the game for hints to be able to complete the game. I searched for hours for coordinates to the other islands, then finally gave up. Once I read others' similar experiences, I almost abandoned the game, because for me, it's no challenge if the information needed to solve the puzzles can't be found without help. The islands are beautiful, and certainly congratulations go to the programmer who obviously put a lot of love and effort in. But I would have loved it much more had I not had to use hints and a walkthrough to solve the puzzles. I can recommend it because it is a beautiful world.

Anonymous
Anonymous

What an incredibly beautiful and detailed world the developer has created for Haven Moon. Once you've visited the Haven Moon realm you'll want to stay - and I suspect once you've finished the game you'll be longing for a sequel.

Platypro
Platypro

It's hard to add to what people have already said about this game.

Graphics, Music, and Sound are incredible.
Puzzles could be slightly obtuse, though not too distracting.
Performance and controls could use some work (would have liked to see node-based travel myself).Also had to lower settings and screen resolution to make the game run smooth.

Really captures the MYST vibe it was going for. Don't think I couldn't notice that library reference in the lab lol.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Exploration does remind me of Myst. As others have said, it is more linear in that you have to complete certain things to advance to a new location. The one gripe I have is no control of the music/ambient sound. In one case the music overpowers important clues in the ambient sounds,

retrochansmith
retrochansmith

I bought this game a while back and finally played it and I can say that I love it. I didn't see any glitches at all and it played smoothly. I loved the story too. I highly recommend it.

Maskinkultur
Maskinkultur

A competent tribute to Myst.

The island you start on is pretty miniscule and hardly suited for any structures to speak of, but there they are anyway, precariously balancing on top of a group of small rocks. The island is deserted and the only sounds are those from the vast ocean or the wind in the trees, which somehow sustain themselves by growing right out of the rock. It’s peaceful. Everything is inviting you to start exploring and learn more.

The other islands are in the same style as the first. There is no stress and no one to disturb you on any of the islands, so you can take your time exploring, solving puzzles, and admiring all the buildings on each island, which are welcoming with lots of detail, while the underlying landscapes, on the other hand, feel a bit lacking, although they do work well enough as a foundation, so it’s a minor complaint.

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. All puzzles are about mastering an unknown device by mastering other unknown devices.

There is a bit of fast-travel once you’ve unlocked it, which is always a lovely bonus, because it avoids what could otherwise become tediously repetitive.

The story was a standard piece of morality and choice, but was of no real consequence for the game. It did have some world building, which was nice, but the story still felt mostly like a container for clues. If I could, I would wish for more in-depth backstory.

It’s easy to tell that Haven Moon is a game for Myst-fans. The puzzles were challenging enough. The environments were well built and detailed. The story was pretty thin, though, so don’t expect to be particularly amazed or excited by that. There’s no free exploration. This game wasn’t my favourite in the genre, but I enjoyed it.

Full review:
https://maskinkultur.com/2018/04/24/review-haven-moon/

coach_mcguirk
coach_mcguirk

I am very pleased with this game. It is simpler than Myst; however fun to play! It delivers on its promise as a "love letter" to Myst. I only wish there was more!

I must also separately say that the music perfectly fits the atmosphere and setting of this game. It is NOT a copy of Myst in this sense. The music is its own thing in a different style to Myst.

If there's ever a sequel to this or a follow up, count me in!

mistmurk
mistmurk

While this game had a somewhat dissatisfying narrative, it was truly beautiful throughout. The puzzles had a large variance in quality, some felt more like fiddling with knobs than actually solving puzzles, but overall I think this game is worth far more than its $10 price tag. The environment art alone is worth playing this game for if you are a fan of myst/riven.

jenibug69
jenibug69

Absolutely gorgeous. I wandered around to enjoy the scenery and accompanying sounds. I didn't progress in the puzzle department, though.

alanbly
alanbly

Not the worst puzzle game I've played, but it's the wrong kind of frustrating. The game is full of red herrings that hint at puzzles that aren't there and the actual "puzzles" aren't interesting. 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. The story isn't well-written (though the phrasing is likely a translation thing), and is trying to be deep but just doesn't manage it. If you like Myst-like games and the "Ahah!" moment of figuring out a puzzle, give this one a hard pass and you won't be missing anything.

Blurillaz
Blurillaz

Cool MYST tribute, especially for a solo dev. Graphics are nice and the puzzles aren't overly cryptic but I wish I could explore more. The game is pretty short- it feels like the equivalent of playing just one age so I'd recommend it the at sale price of $2.