BENGALURU: To discuss ‘Sun Haven’, I must first take you back over two decades to the birth of role-playing farming simulators. It is the late ’90s and you’ve just picked up ‘Harvest Moon’. You pop it into your console and are transported to a quaint little village. The air is fresh, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and your neighbours are the kindest people — a utopian wonderland.
You have a farm, which requires time management — to tend to crops, animals, and complete required tasks within the span of a day. You also had to build relationships with the unique characters living in the town and help them with their problems. It was a popular game, but soon forgotten. An independent developer recognised its potential and created Stardew Valley, which improved upon the genre and became the hit of the decade. And now, we have Sun Haven – a perfected version of this beloved genre, built on the inherited wisdom of Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley.
Sun Haven takes a mundane farming simulator genre with its elaborate fetch quests and elevates it to new heights: we now have adjustable day lengths, infinite stamina, a larger map, and an eight-person multiplayer mode. It has a high-fantasy main questline which involves dragons and magic. In fact, the initial character selection lets you choose your own race — demon, elf, elemental, or human. Because let’s face it, playing as a demon-farmer beats playing Farmville any day. With plenty of exciting activities to enjoy, whether it’s fishing, mining, or sharing your best produce with your neighbours, you can let your farm flourish while focusing on your favourites.
Farming simulators can get a bit lonely. But unlike its predecessors, the town centre in Sun Haven feels like a bustling metropolis with plenty of opportunities to interact with the townspeople. The skill-tree allows progress in combat, farming, and exploration. And instead of a measly cash prize at the end of it, you get visible rewards too, like faster exploration, better trades, and even more luck. Sun Haven has been in early access for a few years, but it officially released only last month, and is currently available to play on PC. So, if you’re a beginner looking for a cosy farming game to start with, I highly recommend giving it a try.