A new Space Haven update has been launched to celebrate the game's second anniversary. According to developer Bugbyte, this is the space colony sim's biggest update yet; it contains big changes to crew systems, blueprints, and plenty more.
How have crew members been overhauled in this Space Haven update?
Space Haven was originally released in Early Access back in 2020 after a successful Kickstarter campaign was launched in 2019. To celebrate two years in Early Access, developer Bugbyte has launched what it's calling Space Haven's "biggest and most feature-rich" update yet. Named "Alpha 15" (which sounds like an appropriately space-age name), the update is designed to make crew members feel more human, which is crucial in a colony sim. There's also new combat stuff, extra decoratives, and, perhaps most crucially, space beer. Hooray for space beer.
First up, there are new crew inventory and loadout options to help you manage your crew's combat ability better. A new-look inventory has been created, and loadouts let you specify what gear you want your crew to use. That should help you use the new laser and plasma weapons, as well as two new armor items and brand new sentry guns. Crew members can now be augmented via a new Surgical Enhancement Facility, which should help you further customize and specialize them as you wish.
One of the biggest changes in the new Space Haven update is the overhaul to crew characterization. Crew will have more unique characteristics and likes, as well as responding more to their environment. For example, if a crew member doesn't have a personal sleeping space, they might perform worse, but if they get good, nutritious food, their mood will be boosted. If a crew member suffers for too long, they may undergo a mental break. Minor mental breaks could just lead to fights, while major ones could see a crew member attempting to sabotage your ship. As a result, it's important to keep your crew's happiness level up, which you can do by observing what they need and giving it to them. Crew relationships have also been overhauled, with several new types of relationship from enemies all the way through to lovers.
What other changes are in the Space Haven update?
As well as the big changes to crew members, there are several other new things in this Space Haven update. Several new decorative items have been added; you can now install a beverage machine, which will let your crew members grab a cold space-brewski as they relax. You'll now have access to better blueprint tools, and the ability to modify your ship size has been augmented, too. You'll also find a raft of new NPC ships both big and small, as well as changes to faction leaders; factions now have a leader or a captain, and they may interact through messages, which will give them extra character and help you figure out what they're doing in any given sector. All in all, it's fair to say this is a pretty massive update for Space Haven, so if it's been a while since you last checked in with the space colony sim, you might want to give it another shot. Be sure to read the full Steam update notes to see everything that's new.
You can check out Space Haven right now on Steam, where it's currently in Early Access. If you like games such as RimWorld or Starmancer, then it's definitely well worth taking a look at Bugbyte's game, as it could well be your jam. No word yet on whether there will be a Space Haven Mass Effect mod, though. We don't yet know when Space Haven will exit Early Access, so if you've been interested but holding out for the full version, we'd recommend giving it a look now. As ever, we'll bring you more on this as soon as we get it.
