The Beginning

So hello. My name is Gavin Flood and welcome to my blog, and hopefully a journey in to the development of our game Haven. I am currently a student attending Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland. The course I am studying is Computing in Games Development. I am in my final year and it is coming to an end. That's enough about me for now, let me tell you about my project. I said my project, but I really should have said our project. Our final year project is a group project. Our task? To create a game with well being enhancing technology in mind. So out of our design phase came Haven.

So what really is Haven? Haven is an adventure game for the PC that aims to help in gauging empathetic responses in children aged eight to 12. the child will explore, interact and engage with the world and its inhabitants in a safe, relaxing environment that is conducive to learning social skills that many of us take for granted. Essential social skills are taught effectively through the player interacting with in-game characters.

The Haven Logo

Haven is set on a beautiful island that is populated by fantastical creatures. The game world is comprised of beautiful sandy beaches and lush vegetation. A dynamic day/night cycle keeps the world rich in colors and visual effects. These colors are geared to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Haven is brought tot life by an array of mysterious creatures. These creatures, although alien in nature, are inspired by real life to keep a sense of familiarity.

Early concept of Haven during the day

Currently we are only in a proof of concept stage. What this means is that we have proven that our game is possible and that we are able to do it. There is still a lot to come. We are aiming for alpha in the next couple of weeks, and then finally beta.