Sunhaven Game Review

Sun Haven is one of the best new farming sims to come out in 2023. With farming sims blowing up in popularity, lots of studios are trying to put their own twist on the genre. As someone who’s been into farming sims for nearly 20 years, I’m usually pretty picky — I often find myself missing the simple charm of old Harvest Moon DS games.

But Sun Haven strikes a great balance. It keeps that relaxing, straightforward farming vibe while adding some cool magical elements and unique features that really make it stand out.

What’s Cool About Sun Haven

First off, the story is surprisingly good. You play as a hero trying to save the town of Sun Haven from some mysterious darkness. There’s plenty of mystery about where this darkness is coming from and how you’ll team up with two powerful dragons to fight it. Along the way, you explore dangerous forests, meet interesting characters, and complete quests that unlock new areas.

Another cool thing is the multiple farms. You start with one farm that’s always the same layout, but halfway through the game, you get access to a second farm, and later a third. You don’t have to use all of them — I stuck to just the first farm in single-player and still completed the whole story and achievements. But in multiplayer with friends, having multiple farms is awesome for growing different crops and making more money.

Farming’s More Fun With Friends

Sun Haven lets up to eight people play together, which is double what Stardew Valley offers and more than any other recent farming sim I’ve seen. If you don’t have friends who play farming sims, the Sun Haven Discord community is really welcoming and active. I’ve met a bunch of people there who want to team up for multiplayer farming sessions.

A Little Magic Goes a Long Way

Unlike Harvest Moon where magic feels more like background lore, in Sun Haven your character actually has magical powers. When creating your character, you pick from seven races, each with special abilities. I’ve played as all of them (there’s a Steam achievement for that) and the Angel race is my favorite. Your magical skills level up over time, unlocking spells you can use in combat and exploration.

Dating Done Right

The romance options are some of the best I’ve seen in a farming sim. Each romanceable character has a unique personality and backstory. You can marry any character regardless of gender or race, which is awesome for inclusivity. I really enjoyed dating, going on dates, and learning about each character’s story. My only gripe is that once you’re married, the dialogue stops evolving — it’d be cool if the romance stayed fresh even after marriage.

A Couple of Letdowns

Sun Haven isn’t perfect though. The biggest issue for me is there are no sprinklers. Most farming sims let you craft or buy sprinklers early on to automate watering. Here, you unlock a rain spell really late in the game, which uses a lot of mana and isn’t practical unless you focus on magic skills.

Also, dating and marriage feel a bit too casual. You can keep dating other people after you’re married, and divorcing is super easy with almost no penalty. Other characters will still confess their love and ask you out even if you’re married, which makes things feel a little off compared to other farming sims where romance shifts to friendly banter after marriage.

Lastly, the skill system feels unbalanced. You can’t unlock every skill just by leveling up. You need special skill books you find through quests or by donating to the museum, which is fine but it’s weird that you can’t get everything just by playing.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Sun Haven is totally worth the $25 price tag. It’s unique enough to feel fresh but familiar enough that fans of traditional farming sims will really enjoy it. While people often compare it to Stardew Valley because of the pixel art style, I actually liked Sun Haven more. It offers more exploration, more farming options, more romance choices, more magic, and a better story.

If you love farming sims or want to try one, I’d definitely recommend Sun Haven. And if you have friends who play, multiplayer makes it even more fun.

If you like this review and want to see more, you can click here.  My snapchat is Cara_lynn97. Twitter and Instagram are the same. I stream on twitch multiple days a week! Be sure to follow me to see the live playthroughs of games and anything else I might do and post online.