Recent reviews by Darkie

I don't really write any reviews for games I play in general, but for this one in particular I'm willing to make an exception for to help get the word around to more people about this. For what it's worth, as someone who enjoys farming sim games I really do like Sun Haven. The pixel art style is very well done and incredibly charming, there's some pretty fun mechanics like being able to use spells to make tasks like farming and mining easier, and even being able to adjust the speed at which time passes for in-game days is a neat addition that more games like this should have. It's a very low-key and cozy game that I really liked playing with my friend, and it was a really fun experience for the both of us.

However, knowing what I know now about the shady behavior of Pixel Sprout Studios and the scummy, exploitative practices involved in this game's creation has left a sour taste in my mouth, and I would not recommend for anyone to buy this game. There is absolutely NO reason for why the many artists and contributors who worked on this game have continued to go uncredited, despite the game being out for nearly 2 years and having since released a Switch port in the past year at this point. The devs also have a habit of neglecting patching bugs and other issues that have been in the game for months or even years in favor of pushing out cosmetics as paid DLC, issues that people have brought up time and time again that continue to go unaddressed.

The lead devs at Pixel Sprout have actively taken advantage of artists, designers, and other contributors who have worked for them while also refusing to credit them, ex-employees have spoken out about the shady actions of the studio and how badly they were treated by the team. They paid many of their hired artists and workers well under the bare minimum of what would've been reasonable compensation for their contributions to the game, while also working them down to the bone to the point of burnout. They even delete messages or just flat out ban people from their Discord server just for asking well-meaning questions or wanting explanations for the issues that the game has, especially in light of the hot mess that is the broken, unplayable Switch port they released last year.

That being said, it's definitely clear that a lot of people do really like Sun Haven, and if you still want to play and enjoy the game despite everything then you have every right to do so. But for anyone who has considered potentially buying this game or any of the DLC packs, please do consider this as a precaution. Abusive, unethical business practices like what Pixel Sprout have engaged in should not be rewarded or supported. And no matter if they're a small indie game studio or not, the horrendous way they've treated their contributors as well as their community is absolutely unacceptable.

But regardless, I encourage you all to please do your own research and form your own opinions on how you feel about the situation and about Sun Haven as a game. If the game itself appeals to you and you still want to play it, more power to you, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy your time with it. Otherwise, you're likely much better off spending your hard-earned money elsewhere, and I wouldn't recommend supporting any of Pixel Sprout's future projects either.