Build your personal Tower of Babel in Stario with the latest demo from Haven Tower, showcased at the PC Gaming Show 2025.
In the PC Gaming Show 2025, Stario: Haven Tower is giving us a fresh breath of city-building air. Set to launch a demo on June 9, as part of Steam Next Fest, before it hits early access later this year, this game promises to take the genre to new heights (and depths, and every which way).
City builders have come a long way since our resident Chris Livingston's annual roundup posts, showcasing the plethora of options available today—from mountain peaks in Laysara: Summit Kingdom to medieval fiefdoms in Manor Lords. But Stario: Haven Tower takes things up a notch (and several more floors) with its innovative twist on the formula.
Inspired by the Tower of Babel myth, our world in Stario: Haven Tower was in ruins, victims of a devastating sandstorm. The inhabitants sought refuge underground, until a stroke of brilliance: why not live above the storm? So, you'll be constructing a city vertically, creating layer upon layer, as you juggle resources and the morale of your people to raise your towering metropolis into the sky.
As the tower grows, so do your research options, as you unlock new, cutting-edge technologies. Each district can be expanded into a sprawling, bustling section of your tower, with homes and resource-producing buildings popping up wherever there's room. The freeform construction system ensures that every tower is unique, as no two will look exactly alike.
The happiness (or unhappiness) of your "towertizens"—as the game so affectionately calls them—plays a crucial role, just like in other city builders. This digital currency is essential for research and adding new levels to the tower. But don't get too comfortable, as you'll have to deal with unpredictable weather and other mysteries as you expand into the great unknown.
If this fresh take on the city builder formula sounds like your cup of tea, then head over to the Stario: Haven Tower Steam page for more information.
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Sean MartinWith a taste for games like Full Throttle and Total Annihilation, Sean Martin's preferences haven't budged since the old days. When he's not busy solving puzzles or scouring games for secrets, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, losing hours to Destiny 2, or still attempting to complete the Horus Heresy. Sean's writing has also been featured in EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, Inverse, and more.
- If you're a fan of city-building games and looking for a fresh take on the genre, you might want to consider placing a bet on Stario: Haven Tower, set to launch a demo on June 9 during Steam Next Fest.
- As you ascend through the seasons in Stario: Haven Tower, you'll discover a variety of innovative gadgets and technology that can help improve your towering metropolis, allowing for a unique Vertical city-building experience.
- One of the challenges you'll face in Stario: Haven Tower is maintaining the win-win relationship between your "towertizens' happiness and your research options, ensuring that your city thrives both above and below ground.
