Dec 12, 2019
Surprise! Haven demo available for 48 hours!
Haven - konala.ak
For the occasion of The Game Awards that take place later today, Valve is launching a "Game Festival" on Steam: a special event featuring a collection of game demos available for 48 hours. Haven was invited to be part of it! You can download the demo until Saturday December 14th, don't miss it.



The demo features the very beginning of the game, to get to know our two lovers stranded on a forgotten planet. But before you start your journey with Yu and Kay, here is some information to keep in mind:
  • The demo is beta stage, not final quality
  • The demo is single-player only (the final game supports local co-op)
  • A controller is recommended. You can review the controls below. (keyboard and mouse controls are very work in progress).
  • English, French and Japanese languages (change in Pause menu).

It's the demo some of you already played at PAX West, Tokyo Game Show, Indie X or XO 19 that we are happy to make available for everyone on Steam.

So have fun, and we're looking forward to your feedback on Discord, Twitter or here on Steam.



TRY AT OUR OWN RISK:


AZERTY keyboard layout here
Sep 26, 2019
Haven - Back from the shows
Haven - konala.ak
It was a blast to show Haven at Gamescom, PAX West and Tokyo Game Show. We had a playable demo, featuring the beginning of the game. It was great to meet with some of you there, but for those of you who didn't get the chance to play, here's a 5 mn extract from the demo. Have a look.

You can watch a video with the best moments of the demo there:


Thank you to everyone that came to play the game and shared their impressions. Haven has received a few accolades and awards during the shows:
  • GameSpot’s 37 coolest games from PAX
  • Rock Paper Shotgun Gamescom's best of the rest: the coolest indies round up
  • Selection for Kinda Funny Games showcase at PAX West
  • The Best Nintendo Switch Games Of PAX West 2019 from Nintendo Life
  • 10 titres marquants de la Gamescom Le Monde
  • Winner Best Indie Game of PAX West - Marooner's Rock
  • Guest's Runner Up during The MIX Seattle 2019
  • Nominee Best Indie Game of Tokyo Game Show - Famitsu
  • Nominee Best Indie Game of Tokyo Game Show - Dengeki



Here's a few of quotes from the previews and coverage about the game:

  • "Boasting a gorgeous art style, a world steeped in mystery and intrigue, and a premise so affecting it’s surprising to consider how fresh it is, Haven is an RPG like none before it." Gamespot
  • "In the demo I played, the little touches went a long way. (…) Soaring, tumbling, and freewheeling through a not-quite-endless diamond sky felt good. It was exhilarating, but also chill". Kotaku
  • "Haven‘s combat is a system that has a lot of potential to be pretty cool, and I can’t wait to see what more it offers. Combine that with some great writing, awesome music, and a nice visual style, and Haven is ticking all the boxes." Tech Raptor
  • "Haven quite masterfully encapsulates the warm feel of being in love, of having to rely on and be relied on by another person. (...) Haven is an odd step forward, but one that works with such a stirring beauty to both its presentation and gameplay." Goomba Stomp
  • "We really love what Haven is going for. A co-op, narrative RPG with sassy, fully voiced characters is something we think would get a lot of love out of your two Joy-Cons." Nintendo Life

Pictures from our stands on the different shows (1st picture our booth at PAX West on Indie Mega Booth, 2nd picture right Gamescom, 3rd picture Haven at Tokyo Game Show):





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Haven - Wallpapers
When showing the game we had an amazing reception for ... our loading screens! They made players smile and comment. We designed the loadings screens around the idea of Yu and Kay's "First times": the first times they kissed, made love, fought, or found themselves in those very simple yet special moments when you're with someone you love and loves you back.
There was a lot of demand for them as posters, stickers... So we've gathered some of those artworks as wallpapers to make your desktop smile!
Go {LINK REMOVED} in high resolution.




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Haven - Goodies
For the shows we also produced some of Haven first goodies: posters, stickers, cards. Mylène even got herself some prototype Haven tee-shirts. You also might remember that we developed some nice goodies for Furi: tee-shirts, vinyl, posters, artbook... you can refresh your memory here: http://thegamebakers.com/merch.
We'd love to hear your thoughts about the must have goodies you'd like to see for Haven. Don't hesitate to get in touch or join our Discord server to share your thoughts.



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Playtesters wanted!
If you are in France, Montpellier, and would like to participate in Haven's playtests, you're in luck as we are looking for new players. The playtest sessions last about 2 hours and will take place until the end of the year. You're welcome even if you are not a French speaker.
Apply directly by writing to playtest@thegamebakers.com.
More info here (in french): https://www.thegamebakers.com/participez-aux-playtests-de-haven-cet-ete/

Sep 5, 2019
Gamescom's best of the rest: the coolest indies round up
Kine - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alice Bell)

This would not be RPS if I didn’t return from Gamescom and write minimally about the triple A-xtravaganzas and maximumly about smaller, weirder things wot I saw. So here, have at it: my favourite of the independently made games I saw at this year’s show. I flatter myself that the selection is broad enough that it covers genres to suit every taste. Strategy games! Card games! Building games! I haven’t picked all story driven adventure games or RPGs! That’s personal growth on my part, that’s what that is.

Highlights include the one about loneliness, the one about loneliness, and the one about death.

(more…)

Jul 9, 2019
Watch the first trailer for Haven, the romantic RPG from the maker of Furi
Haven

Earlier this year, Furi developer The Game Bakers announced Haven, an RPG about lovers on a lost planet. The description at the time was pretty vague: It's playable alone or in two-player coop, and "the only thing that matters is to stay together." Today the studio revealed a little more about what's coming, including the first-ever gameplay trailer and a rundown of basic gameplay.

"Haven is a story-rich adventure, with touching characters with whom you fall in love as you follow them through their challenges and everyday life. But it’s also a (J)RPG with an innovative combat system that lets you play the two characters at the same time, and chain actions using tactics and timing," The Game Bakers explained in an update on Steam.

"The colorful and dreamy art direction of the light science fiction world of Haven is coming to life thanks to an original electro soundtrack by Danger, with a range of tracks that will carry players from the energy of a sunny morning to the tension of a fight in the mountains at night. Haven is a solo game at its core, but at any time, a second player can jump in locally. Players can then share a moment of exploration and progression together."

The gameplay trailer is lovely and promises an interesting blend of exploration, combat, and sci-fi romance novel, but I still have no clue what it's actually about. It looks to me like a camping trip to the stars, which is fine but not exactly compelling: You go, relax, cook outside, shake off your troubles, and then... what? Throwing down with the local fauna isn't usually on the itinerary and that suggests there's more to this lover's getaway than first meets the eye (as does the tagline, "They escaped to a lost planet to be together"), but what could it be? 

A blog post at thegamebakers.com suggests that the camping trip analogy isn't too far off, at least some of the time. It describes Haven as having "a completely different pace" that's suitable for players of all skill levels: "Exploration is designed to create thrill, serenity and satisfaction," while there's a "sensual rhythm" in chained and combined attacks, but "no real stress" on players in battle.

"The story is told through the daily life of Yu and Kay. You cook, eat, sleep with them during their journey. Dialog choices impact what you learn about the story, but may also have long term consequences…" creative director Emeric Thoa wrote. 

"Of course, life for Yu and Kay is not always a vacation. Survival is not even their bigger problem. The original soundtrack created by Danger covers this wide range of emotions: the pleasure of waking up on a sunny day surrounded by a beautiful landscape, the dreamlike feeling of being alone in the universe or the tension of being hunted down."

We'll hopefully find out more fairly soon: The developers are holding a Q&A session on Discord on July 17 beginning at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET, and a Haven demo will be playable at PAX West, which will run from August 30 to September 2.

Jul 9, 2019
A romantic glimpse at Haven in motion, from the makers of Furi
Haven - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Dominic Tarason)

Haven looks like a lovely, chill game, which is exactly The Game Bakers’s stated intent. Veering hard in the opposite direction to their intense boss-rush shoot ‘o brawler Furi, Haven is a scenic and soft-looking RPG about a young couple that fled to an alien world to be together. While previously little more than a name and a short teaser trailer, the developers are now eager to talk about it, and let us see a little bit of it in motion. They’re open about their inspirations, talking about them in this blog post. Below, a trailer showing off what they describe as “Journey meets Persona“.

(more…)

Jul 9, 2019
Furi dev's gorgeous romantic space adventure Haven gets first gameplay trailer
Haven

Furi developer The Game Bakers has shared the first gameplay trailer, and offered new details, for its gorgeous, romantically inclined space adventure, Haven.

Described as game "about everyday love, rebelling against the rules and also, food", Haven follows the tribulation of a pair of lovers - Yu and Kay - as they attempt to survive on a lost planet. It's a solo experience "at its core", but co-op is both supported and encouraged, with Haven's Steam page suggesting that players might wish to play the game "with a special someone".

When we last saw Haven, in an early tease, details were rather light, and it was left to the game's striking visuals and glorious music to impress.

Read more

Jul 9, 2019
Haven gameplay reveal - Hand in hand gliding over the grass
Haven - TheGameBakers

Finally we can show you more about Haven!

There are many special moments during the development of a game but the first time you disclose the gameplay of your game to the public is certainly one of the most exciting ones.

So check the gameplay trailer here:
https://youtu.be/ragUUT9bsFQ
And then read a few words from Emeric Thoa the game creative director about the intentions and influences for Haven, and tell us what you think.

Emeric will also be holding a Q&A on Discord server Monday July 15th at 21h CEST - 12h00 PT. You know the way to our Discord to ask your questions!

Last we hope to see you at PAX West where we'll have a demo for you to try, come and meet us!

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Share the journey of two lovers, escaped to a lost planet in a desperate attempt to stay together. Glide over the grasslands of a shattered planet, unraveling its mysteries to find a way to settle for good.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Haven is a story-rich adventure, with touching characters with whom you fall in love as you follow them through their challenges and everyday life. But it’s also a (J)RPG with an innovative combat system that lets you play the two characters at the same time, and chain actions using tactics and timing.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The colorful and dreamy art direction of the light science fiction world of Haven is coming to life thanks to an original electro soundtrack by Danger, with a range of tracks that will carry players from the energy of a sunny morning to the tension of a fight in the mountains at night.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Haven is a solo game at its core, but at any time, a second player can jump in locally. Players can then share a moment of exploration and progression together.


May 21, 2019
From the Bakery #1: Haven – Yu & Kay design
Haven - konala.ak


Hello here,
We're starting a series of development updates about our upcoming game Haven. We will share some information on how we are working on the game. For the first one we tell you about the character design of our two heroes in Haven.

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Yu and Kay character design

Haven is about two lovers escaping to a forgotten planet. Character Artist Koyorin joined our team to design the characters and their complete range of expressions. Their art is a perfect fit for Haven because they manage to communicate a lot of nuances in the characters expressions, even in a simple portrait.


Research for Yu and Kay’s everyday life on Haven – by Koyorin

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Koyorin - Mini Interview

Hi, I’m Koyorin. I’m a freelance character designer and illustrator, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with The Game Bakers as their character artist for Haven.

– What makes a good character design?
From a purely subjective standpoint, the most effective character designs to me are the ones that are not over-designed and mostly avoid functionless parts or patterns. While I’m not a purely function over form person myself, I do think there’s a threshold for that haha. A design being both simple and effective helps it to be more memorable, in my opinion.

– Can you tell us a little bit more about the design of Yu and Kay?
It was intended to carry the look of “researchers”, hence the primarily white outfits which were mean to be reminiscent of a lab coat, or people who work in a research environment. And yet, they also needed to have the look of “otherworldly” and “adventurous”, which were aspects I took into consideration when creating their overall designs. A few early drafts of them were even more otherworldly and even somewhat alien-like, but we reeled it back to keep them in more relatable territory.

– What is your secret to make them touching?
When I draw people by themselves or interacting, I think subtleties say a lot about a character’s feelings and inner mood. A lot can be said with very little, and on certain occasions, even subduing things says as much about the mood as exaggeration does. Body language and gestures are very useful tools for this purpose.

– Who are your favorite character designers?
A few of my personal favourite character designers are Akihiko Yoshida, Hideo Minaba, Rui Tomono, Shigenori Soejima, Shunsuke Saito, Yusuke Kozaki, Yuya Nagai, and many more! I also love a lot of illustrators who don’t necessarily focus on character design (or even characters!) but the list could then go on for a long time haha.

More of Koyorin’s work on Twitter Instagram Artstation or their Patreon.

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The first time we...

Yu and Kay are already together when you start the game. They have lived a lot of adventures as a couple before. In particular they’ve been through the first times that are never forgotten in a relationship: the first kiss, the first fight, the first night… Here’s their first pillow fight, it wasn’t the last!



Feel like changing your wallpaper? We will make the First Time Pictures available here in wallpaper format. The Pillow Fight is already available.

Check the timelapse video below to see how the art was drawn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=Ia2RKHfdLJc

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Join our Discord and receive the Newsletter

If you'd like to receive these dev updates on a regular basis, to share with our community of players, to ask us some questions or give us feedback don't hesitate to:

Cheers!
Feb 19, 2019
Furi developer teases romantic sci-fi co-op adventure Haven
Furi

Developer The Game Bakers, responsible for 2016's gloriously psychedelic arcade boss-rush adventure Furi, has unveiled its next project, Haven.

According to the developer, Haven is an adventure RPG "about everyday love, rebelling against the rules and also, food". It's designed to be played "solo or with a special someone", and there's certainly an unavoidable air of romance around the whole endeavour. "Play as two lovers who escaped to a lost planet," explains Haven's Steam page, "The only thing that matters is to stay together".

Haven's teaser trailer is equally emotive, showing our lovebirds drifting serenely across a vibrantly hued landscape before stopping for a quick snog beneath striking skies:

Read more

Feb 19, 2019
First glimpse at our new game Haven (and it's not Furi 2)
Haven - TheGameBakers


Hello,

We are pretty excited to share with you a first glimpse at our upcoming game Haven. Since most of you know us from Furi, well, it’s not Furi 2.

Haven is an Adventure RPG in which you play as two lovers who escaped to a lost planet. The only thing that matters to them is to stay together.

The game will be available for PC and Consoles, and you will be able to play it solo, or with a special someone.

We’ve been working on it for over a year now, and we will share more with you soon. To stay posted, don’t hesitate to:
Cheers

The team at Game Bakers

https://store.steampowered.com/app/983970/Haven/
Haven web page: https://www.thegamebakers.com/haven/






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