It’s a well-known secret that my favorite class in any videogame is Monk. Whether it’s tabletop DnD, Baldur’s Gate 3, or World of Warcraft, I love the idea of blending primordial magic and, well, punching things – perhaps that’s because I’m from Glasgow, who knows. Havenhold, an upcoming survival sandbox game, thrusts you into the shoes of a budding young warrior with their eyes firmly set on the prize. It’s been in alpha since 2023, and now we’re finally getting our hands on it.
Much like many other MMORPGs, you begin your Havenhold journey as a nameless monk with a point to prove. Your goal is to ascend the mysterious Kunlun Mountain faster than your rivals, collect the best gear, and cement yourself as the premier warrior. Sounds easy, right?
Wrong. You only have 14 days to complete your ascent, collect all of the best loot, and level up your skills. Then, the competition resets and you begin at the bottom of the mountain again, punting you back down to whence you came. Thankfully it’s not a Tarkov-level wipe – your gear and skills do carry over – but it certainly adds some spice.
Speaking of gear, the path to greatness is lined with dungeons galore, with precious loot lying in wait. From weapons and armor to new skill scrolls, exploration is essential. All of this can be traded in-game, contributing to a player-driven economy – everything has value, and you’d do well to remember that.
Action plays out PvE style in the various dungeon instances, and you can team up with your friends to speed up your climb. In the final days of each cycle, however, the gloves come off and the game switches over to PvP, meaning you’ll have to prove your worth to claim your place at the top of the leaderboard. There’s no slinking around in the shadows and hoping for the best – this is an all-out brawl, and you’d better be prepared.
The Havenhold release date is set for 2025, but if you’re intrigued by Wolfpack Games’ sandbox survival game, the team is running a special closed beta test on Thursday April 17 at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST. You can throw your hat in the ring over on the game’s official Steam page.
In the meantime, however, it’s worth sharpening your skills by checking out our list of the best survival games. Alternatively, if it’s the competitive aspect that’s piqued your interest, here’s our rundown of the best multiplayer games.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.