A little peace,
wherever your morning takes you.

We’ve been thinking about how Hawfold could make a little room for calm in those moments. Somewhere to settle your attention, enjoy a puzzle and take a breath before the day gathers pace.

That’s the idea behind our new soundscapes: seven natural scenes to listen to while you play, bringing birdsong, water, rain and the atmosphere of quieter places into your daily routine.

Somewhere, not just something.

The feeling we wanted was simple. Imagine placing a microphone in a forest early in the morning, just as the birds begin to stir. Or sitting beside a harbour, hearing the water and an occasional distant bell. There is life around you, with enough space between sounds to notice it.

That sense of being somewhere shaped the collection. The soundscapes use real field recordings, edited and looped to accompany a puzzle. You might begin your Monday with a dawn chorus recorded in the Cotswolds, or spend a few minutes with the early morning birds of Ashdown Forest. Each scene has its own character, and each loops seamlessly so it can stay with you as you solve.

A soundscape for every day of the week.

Listening samples: Rain and thunder by myLoop; Rainforest dawn by felix.blume. Field recordings edited and balanced for Hawfold, from sources released under CC0 1.0. These three-minute samples give you a taste of the soundscapes; the game uses seamless loops.

Choose Follow the parish to hear the soundscape for that puzzle’s day, or choose a favourite to return to whenever you play. Sound is optional, with the on/off control beside the puzzle title and the volume and scene choices close at hand. Hawfold remembers your choice and volume on your device.

Making space to pay attention.

For us, bringing mindfulness into a morning routine starts with making space to pay attention. Looking at the puzzle in front of you. Listening to the birds between moves. Giving a thought time to develop. Those moments can fit into the morning you already have, whether you’re on the train, at the kitchen table or enjoying your first cup of tea.