When it comes to indie games, I keep an eye out for a variety going through my social media feeds. One game that recently caught my eyes was Haven Park from developer Fabien Weibel and publisher Mooneye Studios. Once I learned about this game, I had to get in contact with Fabien to learn more about the game. As you can guess, he was more than happy to chat with me. The more time I spent watching the trailer, the more I was reminded of my addiction to Animal Crossing, which isn’t a bad thing.
If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of this game until now, don’t worry we’ve got you covered. In Haven Park, you play as Flint who is doing the best he can to keep his grandma’s park up and running. During your travels, you’ll learn other campers’ wishes and build new attractions to bring in new characters. Now if you’re looking for a nice and relaxing game, Haven Park is the game for you. Below is our interview with Fabien Weibel, the solo developer of Haven Park.
Fabien Haven Park Interview
Inspiration and Reception
Andrew: For our readers, feel free to introduce yourself! With the upcoming release of Haven Park, what was the idea behind the game? Were there any games that gave you inspiration?
Fabien: Hi, thank you for giving me the opportunity to present my game! My name is Fabien Weibel, I’ve been working in the animation film industry, and for a few years, I’ve moved little by little toward the world of game development! Haven Park is actually my first game! My goal was to make a game from scratch entirely by myself. Apart from Mooneye Studios who joined the project to help with the publishing aspect, I developed Haven Park alone, in my spare time. It’s after finishing A Short Hike that I decided to start this project.
Andrew: What makes Haven Park different from many other games? The more I watch the trailer, the more it pulls me in.
Fabien: I don’t think Haven Park is revolutionary in its core. It was just a little project that I wanted to do and share! Just launch it, and relax 🙂
Andrew: In the past Haven Park had a demo for some Indie game events this year. What was the one thing you enjoyed seeing those playing the demo say or talk about?
Fabien: Yes, we had a demo running for the Steam Next Festival. It was a great event to gain good visibility. I think it was first reassuring for me to see that many people downloaded and actually liked the game!
Development, Lockdown, & Art
Andrew: How long has Haven Park been worked on? Sometimes we see some indie games being worked on for a few years, from what I’ve learned online you started work during the lockdown. Were you able to keep sane being locked down during Covid? It’s nice to see lots of creativity come from those having the time to do so.
Fabien: I’ve been working on Haven Park for something like a thousand hours now in my spare time. It was worth it. I enjoyed every minute!! It also really helped me during these difficult times of lockdown! It gave me something to focus on, and a goal to reach!
Andrew: What has been the most enjoyable thing happening while you created the game? Anything we can find in-game as the public plays?
Fabien: Discovering how supportive the indie gamers and developers community is! This was really awesome! People are just ready to help, to give constructive feedback, I wasn’t expecting that much kindness and passion!
Andrew: As stated above, I’ve been watching the trailer for the game and can’t get over the artwork behind the game. What had you decided on this look? Personally, I love it! It fits the perspective of the game without being too much on the eyes.
Fabien: Thank you! I wanted something sober and realistic to do for a solo developer. That’s why I kept the art direction very simple! Then as the project was growing I added more details in the world, like small flowers, more trees variations, etc… but I tried to keep everything to its essence.
Additional Information and Resources
Andrew: For those looking for more on the game. Where could our readers find out more about the game?
Fabien: Sure, there you go! You can find it here on the Nintendo page or find it on Itch.io as well as Steam. You can also find more information on the game on https://havenparkgame.com/
Andrew: I do want to thank you for taking your time to answer our questions! With the release of Haven Park on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Where can our readers follow your work or be kept up-to-date on your work with Haven Park? I can’t wait to dig into the game!
Fabien: Thank you for having me! You can follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/
