Hidden Gem: Haven Park

After I had the pleasure of playing and 100%ing A Short Hike, I've been fortunate to find some titles that bring back that same sense of relaxing adventure, where you explore a place that means a lot to the protagonist. The newest title to fit the bill is Haven Park — a charming game that surprisingly has only 463 reviews. 

Whilst I really ended up loving the game, I had a bit of a rocky beginning with it. It was mostly due to my misunderstanding of what the title is about — I thought that I'd walk around finding and decorating campsites and that the building aspect was much more important. It turns out that Haven Park is much more about finding the campsites and finishing tasks than decorating them.

The objective might sound a bit simple, but the game really does a bang-up job of adding that sense of adventure to everything you do — it especially picks up when you start building the camps and finding campers who send you on missions. Whilst they're quite simple, I thought they were incredibly charming and memorable — some notable mentions are finding a crashed vehicle and a game of hide-and-seek!

Just like A Short Hike, you'll find a ton of really endearing and quirky characters throughout your journey, and it became a big part of the charm for me. Their interactions are funny and odd, which I appreciate because it keeps you guessing what strange thing they'll say or do next. 

Between the lovable characters, the cute graphics, and the phenomenally fun quests, it's no wonder I fell so deeply in love with Haven Park. Ever since I finished it, I can't help but think of all the good moments I had in it. And whilst I wish I could gush about some of the missions, I would much rather not spoil them in case anyone would like to give it a go. 

I leave this game behind feeling fulfilled and incredibly happy — finding a hidden gem is always hugely satisfying, especially when it resonates with you so intensely.