Haiku, the Robot
Buzz
About the Game
Obscure Information – Battle bosses back-to-back in the new ‘Trial of Steel’. Two new bosses. New area to explore. Expanded lore & general improvements across the entirety of Arcadia.
Corrupt Mode – Test your skills in this new challenging game mode. One health point. Temporary health upgrades. Alternative storyline. New train stations. New achievements.
Haiku the Robot is a cute adventure-exploration game set in a vast interconnected world full of corrupt robots and machinery. Explore the dying land of Arcadia; fight fierce machines; befriend quirky robots, and seek answers to the mysteries of the world around you.
Explore.
Forge your own path through a vast interconnected world full of corrupt robots and machinery. Map uncharted paths and explore the hidden depths of Arcadia.
Fight.
Dodge, dash, and slash as you battle fierce-looking machines. Challenge your skills and reflexes through tight melee combat and epic boss fights.
Discover.
Evolve with powerful items and abilities, allowing you to reach previously inaccessible areas. Meet a variety of quirky robots, both friend and foe, and discover the dark secrets of the world around you.
- Classic side-scrolling action with all the modern trimmings.
- Dodge, dash, and slash through machine-like enemies.
- Jump, zip, and blink past challenging platforming obstacles.
- Meet a wide cast of interesting characters on your journey.
- Customize your playstyle through the chip system.
- Explore a vast interconnected world. Full of hidden secrets, fierce enemies, and quirky robots. A true Metroidvania.
- Make your own journey as you collect new items, abilities, and upgrades.
- Map your progress and piece together the secrets of Arcadia.
- Sharp and precise character movement with tight melee combat.
- GameBoy-inspired pixel art – each frame animated by hand. True retro aesthetic with modern controls.
Game Discussion
Steam User 64
Everything about Haiku is pretty good, but nothing is done exceptionally well.
In a line-up of other metroidvanias, I don't know any praise I could give it that wasn't better exemplified by another game. The art isn't as good as Hollow Knight, the combat isn't as good as Dead Cells, the puzzles aren't as good as Environmental Station Alpha or Tunic or Animal Well.
The best part of Haiku is that it isn't frustrating in the slightest. Backtracking is kept to a minimum, exploration is fast-paced, none of the enemies are obnoxious, and you won't get blocked off by bosses for hours at a time.
Steam User 6
Fun, concise little metroidvania. I have to admit, the initial 2-3 hours did not leave the greatest impression on me, the close-relation to Hollow Knight is very evident from the get-go and didn't inspire much confidence, but I pushed on due to a friend's recommendation, and I'm glad I did! This game was a delight, and I especially loved the late-game areas/exploration. Nothing groundbreaking, but the basics here are done well.
Steam User 6
A pretty fun metroidvania. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre. Pretty short as well and not too difficult to 100%. I enjoyed the world and the robots, all of them seemed pretty endearing. Played it on the long wait for Silksong. It scratched the itch for a while.
Steam User 10
A great Hollow-Knight-like metroidvania that's just challenging enough, without gleefully curb-stomping the player every step of the way. It's also just lengthy enough to feel like a complete experience without outstaying its welcome, though I would say it doesn't come anywhere close to its main inspiration, Hollow Knight, in terms of sheer content density, but then again - very few games do!
While I didn't love its muted graphical presentation, Haiku's visuals eventually grew on me. It's also notable that some later areas become much more colorful and interesting to look at.
Bosses range from okay to pretty good, but never raise beyond that, and none of them are particularly memorable, though some seem like they've been "borrowed" from Hollow Knight wholesale.
Steam User 6
A small, pleasant in every way metroidvania. Pretty high-quality, varied in gameplay, with interesting lore. Not much to add.
I hope the developer has plans for another, more ambitious project.
Steam User 5
Haiku is a fairly above average game made stronger by its passion. It's your standard Metroidvania affair with a couple of neat mechanics (such as your healing and currency being the same thing). The world you explore in Haiku is quite a bit bigger than you'd expect with some interesting area layouts. In general, I found exploring to be the most engaging thing in the game by far. That's mostly due to the combat being a bit of a letdown. While your movement options grow throughout the game, your combat abilities never really expand beyond mashing the sword button and it gets dull quick.
That all being said, my favorite part of Haiku is how ironically this game about robots has a strong heart. As said, the world feels large and Haiku is always pushing itself to do something new with some genuinely impactful moments at times. It's not always successful, but I got absorbed regardless. Not to get meta, but it felt like a game designer getting more bold and comfortable with making the game as it went on. At its worst Haiku is a stock standard and sometimes clunky Metroidvania. However, at its best this game shines and left me wanting more.
Steam User 7
I adore this game. It reminds me Hollow knight. It runs well on my weak laptop. I hope to see the sequel.