With no major gaming events like E3 taking place this year, developers and platforms have taken it upon themselves to fill in the gap with their own events, with the Steam game festival being one such event.
From the 16th — 22nd of June, the festival showcased a whole host of games and live streams with hundreds of free demos for new and upcoming indie games, and thanks to moving home I was left without wifi for longer than I’d have liked. But in that time, I spent it playing through some of the demo’s and have made a collection of small articles with my thoughts on a few of them so feel free to check them out on B3!
Thought one of the standouts came from an unlikely place with the narrative focussed adventure involving young lovers, Haven.
The most narrative-focused game on this list, Haven’s unique setting and characters are what kept me interested from the start of my time playing, and after I finished, I was more than eager to see what else the game will have in store.
You play two lovers named Yu and Kay who are settling in to live on a forgotten planet in this bold and colourful romantic space adventure, following their relationship as they adapt to their surroundings and try to stay together against all odds. You’ll glide across a fragmented world exploring and interacting with the wildlife, learning about the characters, and discovering their story. 
Despite my initial hesitation, I was drawn into the narrative nearly instantly, thanks in part to some excellent voice acting that had both humour and maturity and made the whole experience feel natural. With the characters’ relationship being portrayed in a believable way, it was easy to become attached and interested in these young lovers’ story, but it’s the design of the whole game that really drives the experience forward.
Every aspect of gameplay felt like an extension of the games focus on the narrative, from the real-time combat to the dialogue choices, everything was made with intention of reinforcing the character’s story, and even the little bit I got to play showed this off excellently.
It’s not often that a narrative focussed game gets my attention, but this unique take on a love story has got me hooked. If the full release can live up to what’s shown in the demo I’ve no doubt Haven will be a romantic tale to remember, and with the inclusion of co-op in the full release, I look forward to experiencing it with my special someone.
Haven is listed to release in 2020, You can check out the Developer’s Twitter or Website for more Details.
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