You won’t see Luna Nova on your next staycation for several reasons, yet this peculiar place seems to draw in some decent folk. What are their motivations? Are they running from something? Usually, that’s metaphorically, but in Harvest Hunt, it’s most likely because the Devourer is in pursuit.
Harvest Hunt is the work of Villainous Games Studio and the first title to be published by Neonhive Games. It’s a Lovecraftian-inspired first-person tale with spooky lore cat-and-mouse tactics, and it plays on the Steam Deck flawlessly. First thoughts? Something hadn’t clicked with me. Finding resources was a pig; the levels were the same, and it lacked direction, or should that be the motivation?
The storytelling element was intriguing, and in between the core gameplay, I loved it, but not so much the main gameplay. At WASD 2024, Harvest Hunt was on show, and though the upcoming Fruitbus held my gaze, I couldn’t help watching the way others interacted with the game and admiring the dev’s dashing facial hair. I would have said hello, but not getting their game would have been a sour point.
When I got back home, I liked playing the game more. I took more risks, having seen others do it as WASD, and it was paying off. Harvest Hunt was no longer a helpless dash for Ambrosia, and then legging it as the Devourer was too bloody difficult. Now, I was bringing the battle to them. And armed with a fork.
By this time, you may have already seen a Harvest Hunt review, played the demo, or know about the premise, but for argument’s sake, here’s the skinny. You play as an interchangeable warden at the desolate Luna Nova. It’s like one of those ‘last bastions of humanity’, where there seems to be hope, an abundance of resources, and a deadly predator that trolls the area. As the warden, it’s your job to ward the rotter off.
For each harvest, you must collect Ambrosia scattered around the arena and return it to the people. There are two options, however. The first is to collect the Ambrosia and escape. Alternatively, you can stand up to the Devourer, fight it, and ward its spirit away. You’ll then need to repeat another four nights to ensure the season is safe for harvest. Luckily, you’ll get rewards every night to mix things up a little.
Harvest Hunt is primarily an arena game, a tad like Dead By Daylight, but it’s only a single player, and there are only two main characters: the warden and the Devourer. The latter has minions scattered to do their bidding, but it’s mostly a one-on-one experience. Tools are available at each stage, and the pitchfork, assumedly weak, is surprisingly effective if you get your timing right. You’ll provoke the Devourer by ringing a bell, or it’ll locate you; then you jab it quickly a few times and break a part used in a ritual to dispel it. Otherwise, it’ll destroy your health; you must run and hide. Psst… it’s a rogue-like, don’t you know?
That’s effectively the core gameplay as you’ll rinse and repeat the same thing, only new perks, represented through deck-building that buffs the warden and Luna Nova. They will change things up a little, and you can place items ready for collection at night’s start. Initially, this was incredibly repetitive, and as it’s the same map, the game can get monotonous if you can’t get used to/don’t like the style of play.
First impressions were ok, but upon returning to it and getting a handle on the Devourer, Harvest Hunt became more about uncovering the lore of its people, and the completionist in me was keen on getting as much Ambrosia as humanely possible. Switching Harvest Hunt to my desktop made me appreciate the graphics and atmosphere even more. On the Steam Deck, it looks great, but cranking up the settings sets a dark, ominous mood.
On the downside, Harvest Hunt is repetitive and lacks variety outside the skill cards. For me, there was enough to keep invested in the story and repeat the routine of expelling the Devourer at the expense of my health, but for the reward of character exposition. It wasn’t so much Lovecraftian, though I may have misinterpreted that. It’s more folklore, and without starting another series of paragraphs, it nails the ambience on that part.
