System design and the framework of Safe Havens were crucial in developing and tuning the game since they were all connected and can affect the choices players decide to make. The basic framework follows the "worker placement" model in which the player will move their survivors around their player map to perform actions to lead them to victory.

We first created a system of 4 materials (brick, food, metal, and wood) which plays an essential role in trading among the players to encourage them to socialize and communicate with each other. Next, we created multiple ways of getting more materials from rolling a dice to determine how much material they can receive, researching building blueprints, and constructing buildings survivors can work at to produce material.

To keep player's actions in check,  we implemented a zombie meter system that will increase whenever a player performed actions that benefited them and when the zombie meter reached its threshold, all players will have to solve their randomly drawn zombie attack tiles at the end of their next turn with materials or risk losing their buildings.