Time to Morp Preview

The world of videogames is full to the brim with fast-paced, intense action titles, 100+ hour RPG epics, and yearly sports game releases that (for some reason) I buy every year. So it’s nice to unwind with a nice, relaxing, cosy game from time to time and just enjoy a stress-free experience while still being entertained. Enter Time to Morp, a game that, at first glance, already had me reaching for a comfy blanket and a hot cup of tea. More specifically, I should say Time to Morp: First Contact in this instance, as the full game hasn’t been released quite yet! This free introduction to the creature-collecting colony sim is long enough to get a good feel for the game but also leaves you wanting more!

Starting out, we’re dropped into an unknown alien world and are introduced to our little robot friend, F.I. Shy. Which I’ve just now realised spells “fishy”, which is rather appropriate considering they have fins and a tail! This floating robo-fish gives our protagonist their main mission: Remove Corruption! What do they mean by this exactly? No idea! However, as we’re slowly introduced to the world through some simple tutorials, such as how to scan for and then gather resources and how to interact with the adorable Morps, things start to become clearer. Before you know it, you’ll have a small outpost set up, complete with some new Morp friends!

Things started off small, initially, as I went about collecting enough resources to build a fence (gotta keep those Morps safe and secure!) as well as a Research Station. This lets you upgrade the player character to be able to carry more items, research new blueprints for item crafting, and even unlock new tools to be able to garden! Unlike so many other games of a similar ilk, Time to Morp does not throw you in at the deep end and hope that you float. Instead, F.I. Shy gives simple tasks to ease players into this laid-back, stress-free world. There were no timers, deadlines, or risk of failure if something wasn’t constructed quickly enough, so I could go at my own pace and ignore the quests entirely if I just fancied exploring the area.

It’s immediately apparent that this is a very accessible colony sim, although that doesn’t mean it lacks features and depth. Grouping Morps and resource deposits within the confines of a secure fence allows them to gather the materials and store them in any chests placed inside. Each Morp type can only gather certain resources, meaning you’ll either have to hunt down the correct Morp type or find the “unevolved” White Morp and place them next to a specific resource. Think of it like Pokémon, but instead of having your friendly creature maul some poor woodland critter to level up, they evolve by simply being placed in a specific environment. Sounds a lot kinder, doesn’t it?

After a steady stream of missions, I was able to build a small outpost with numerous pens for my Morps to collect resources, pipes to transport these valuable commodities to where they needed to be, as well as having some roads and stairs connecting the areas, you know, just to make it look a bit fancy. With this being just a sample of the main game, I’m curious to see just how lavish an outpost I can create!

If you are ever unsure about which Morp does what or where a certain resource is located, then the ever-helpful Morp Wiki is just a button tap away! I found myself referring back to this, and thanks to the simple design, it was easy to locate exactly what I needed. The word simple can also describe the user interface, as the clean, straightforward design never gets bogged down in an overabundance of pop-ups or unnecessary details. Again, it all ties into the calm nature of the game, as does the overall presentation. With simple yet charming, colourful graphics and soothing music that could send me to sleep, First Contact was a blissfully peaceful two hours of gaming fun. Two hours that seemingly went by in the blink of an eye, this was just a small taste of a potentially much larger title.

With my time spent playing Time to Morp: First Contact at an end, it felt like I’d only scratched the surface of what to expect in the main game. Fun, charming, and family-friendly, I’m certainly looking forward to the full release! If you’re a fan of games like ]profile game=Slime-Rancher] or Satisfactory, then you owe it to yourself to check this one out, especially since First Contact is free! With the full title set for release on 7th March 2024, I’m really looking forward to building a bigger outpost, exploring with friends, and meeting new Morps!