Travelers pay when the need unlocked by your Haven level is actually met. Building ahead of that level does not skip the gate.
Need ladder
| Haven level | Need | What satisfies it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warmth | Campfire or furnace on the arrival path |
| 2 | Hunger | Coal cooker with coal from the rear mine |
| 3 | Sleep | Beds, enough for the travelers you accept |
| 4 | Hygiene | Shower or bath, plus a boiler making hot water |
| 5 | Reading | Bookshelf and chairs together |
A July 2025 developer short from Crunchy Orc states the same five-step order: warmth, hunger with a coal cooker, sleep with any bed, hygiene with a shower, then reading with a bookshelf and chairs. Later written guides add the boiler and hot-water chain for baths. Showers are the bridge. Hot baths are the stronger hygiene option only after coal and a boiler worker are running.
How to place each one
Warmth fails when the fire sits in a corner guests never enter, or when a new wall seals it off. One working heat source beats several decorative lights that do not count.
Hunger fails when the cooker is empty. Staff the mine before you accept a bigger wave.
Sleep fails when acceptance outruns mattresses. Cluster beds. Bunk arrangements are a space trick, not a separate need. See bunk beds.
Hygiene fails when the room looks finished but the boiler is cold. Read boiler and baths before you buy a tub.
Reading fails if you build only a bookshelf or only chairs. Guests need both, in a nook they can reach, ideally still inside warmth coverage.
When a guest still looks unhappy
- Check your Haven level and ignore needs that are not unlocked yet.
- Confirm the matching object is placed, not just owned in a menu.
- If it burns coal, confirm a miner is assigned and the box is filling.
- Count beds and showers against how many people the receptionist is letting in.
- Walk the path yourself. Mazes and roof edges strand guests.
Reports beyond level 5
The written ladder stops at Reading. Players have talked about later guests wanting a private room or a high room-quality score. Those reports do not agree on a level or a number, and a viewer comment claiming a level 7 guest needs +500 quality is not a developer rule. If your own session shows an extra prompt, follow that prompt. Do not pre-build around an unconfirmed score.
Room quality is a separate meter. Walled rooms gain quality when you place furniture inside them. A high number does not replace a missing fire.
Acceptance
Manual accept is safer while a need is new. The receptionist auto-accepts and will fill a lodge that cannot cope. After each level-up, serve one quiet wave, then raise intake.