A mist has engulfed the fields beyond the village of Luna Nova. Everything in sight is tainted with a dull, sickly green hue, with small smatterings of light casting dancing shadows through the tall, looming crops. You are The Warden, the town’s chosen guardian, sent out to hunt for the precious Ambrosia that will help you rebuild this struggling hamlet. But your adventure is no walk in the park – The Devourer lurks in Harvest Hunt‘s shadows.
Now it’s no secret that I’m not exactly great with horror games. I vividly remember seeing the baby in Resident Evil: Village (you know the one) and screaming so loudly that my mom had to come upstairs and check that I was okay. I knew before playing Harvest Hunt that I was in for a hell of a time, but despite my screeching, I had a lot of fun.
While the run modifiers and roguelike mechanics certainly feel very Slay the Spire, the thing that sets Harvest Hunt apart is its creepy yet colorful universe. The environment has that somewhat cartoon-esque feel you see in Borderlands, but it’s a little rougher around the edges. The color palette doesn’t vary much beyond murky greens, oranges, and yellows, making everything feel like it’s closing in on you.
The game is also pretty dark, which makes spotting The Devourer quite a challenge. Just like Resident Evil and other survival horrors, Harvest Hunt forces you to rely on your hearing to pick up on danger, giving you that vague sense of adrenaline when you approach a blind corner. I did find The Devourer a little easy to defeat, however, and had a few issues actually banishing it, but given the complexity that the Whispers and modifiers add on top, I still felt like there was enough of a challenge.
While the map is quite small and you start to learn the routes relatively quickly, Harvest Hunt’s worldbuilding is incredible. There’s a rounded, well-crafted story here, with secrets scrawled on tattered notes and in aged journals. I’d like to see the map extend beyond its current borders to showcase more of the world we’ve read about; at the moment, Harvest Hunt doesn’t quite capture the essence of what makes Luna Nova tick.
If you’re intrigued by the Plague-ridden world of Harvest Hunt, it’s available to play right now on Steam. You can pick it up for 15% off to celebrate the launch, bringing it down to $17.99 / £14.99.
Alternatively, if the Devourer has killed you one too many times, we have a list of more traditional survival games to save you a few heart attacks. Or, if it’s that chaotic Slay the Spire-style deckbuilding you love, we have a rundown of the best roguelike games, too.
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