New Haven update lets you play as a same-gender couple

Romantic RPG-slash-visual novel Haven will now let you journey through the mysterious dystopian planet Source as a same-gendered couple in a free update.

Previously, protagonists Yu and Kay were presented as male and female. Now, three options will be available when starting the game—two males, two females or a male and female couple. In a news post on Steam, Game Bakers said that "this update will not change the story arc for Haven, and you can still play as Yu and Kay, but the game offers more options as to the composition of the couple. Haven can now represent love in a broader way!"

The developer also said the update "is a bit special," explaining that Haven was originally intended to have eight couples to represent a diverse range of relationships. Though the team eventually focused on just one couple, it "went back to work on this update to add the alternate couples" shortly after launch. Two new voice actors hopped on board to record some 80,000 lines of dialogue, with slight tweaks to the story throughout for any specific gendered references to reflect whichever couple you choose.

Emma Davies gave the game a solid 72 in her Haven review, calling Yu and Kay "a relatable couple in an extraordinary situation, rooted by a genuinely interesting backstory. Over the course of it, the visual novel elements work well, with enjoyable dialogue and a relationship that you do feel invested in—but the role-playing is a little too slight to really get your teeth stuck into."

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.