Umeplay Shanghai: Haven

Introduction

Haven was one of our first experiences in China and immediately introduced us to a completely different side of the immersive scene. Instead of following the more traditional escape room formula, Haven embraces immersive experience — and does so beautifully.

It was very different from what we were used to and showed us just how far immersive entertainment can go in another direction. I was impressed from the beginning — but I was not prepared for how much it would eventually affect me.

Story & Emotion

Throughout the story, we travelled alongside its characters, and this is where Haven did something particularly well: it created a genuine attachment to them. Through the interactions and the time we spent together, they gradually stopped feeling like performers simply moving the story forward. We started caring about them, their relationships and what happened to them.

For me, this attachment is what made the finale so powerful. Haven had spent the entire experience quietly building that connection, and by the time the story reached its conclusion, I was completely invested in their journey.

The experience hit me far harder than I had expected, and I genuinely cried. It didn’t feel like an emotional moment that had simply been added for effect. Haven had earned that reaction by first making me care. That, more than anything, is what stayed with me afterwards.