Before you morph into your Power Rangers suit, allow me to clarify that no campy superheroes are involved with this newly launched Steam title. Not that it isn’t flamboyant in its own unique way, but it lacks the queer coded aesthetics of a hit 90s TV shows.
Putting my exquisite puns aside for the time being, allow me to declare Time to Morp to be your next monster collecting fixation. It’s not a polished adventure, nor is it in its final form yet due to it being in early access. However, it’s hypnotic, regardless.
It's Time to Morp in this cute sim game – check out its trailer below!
I’ll admit, as I attempted to create a character to start my journey into this vibrant universe, I wasn’t sold on its concept – catching unusual creatures is hardly novel, especially in the age of Pokémon inspired titles like Palworld. Not to mention, its graphics felt crude to me, almost too lacking in polish to allow its intended charm to effectively come through. Yet I persisted because I’d kindly been sent a review code, and not least of all because I’m no quitter.
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I’m incredibly grateful to past Em for sticking with this Steam game despite her doubts, because I’ve discovered a world that, while in need of tweaking, is so wonderfully delightful it’s difficult to ignore. I loathe using the term “addictive” due to its negative connotations, but Time to Morp really has that extra ingredient that compels you to continue playing even when you’ve told yourself you’ll do one more task then quit.
It’s obvious that the Morps – those creatures you’re wrangling and snuggling – are part of the appeal here, but their darling looks aren’t the main selling point. It helps, don’t misunderstand, but Time to Morp is so much more than another cutesy simulator. But before we get into a day in the life of a Morp keeper who's trying to colonise a new planet, let’s take a closer look at the large eyed creatures that will surely win hearts.
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Squee! You’ll chase new Morps to try to cuddle them. And you’ll find yourself telling your loved ones about these fictional critters as if they’re real, much to their dismay. They’re rotund – the Morps, not your family (as far as we’re aware) – and a little shy, uncertain of your intentions as you crash land on their world and start to make your presence known.
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The Morps will change your life, those doe eyes of theirs twinkling as you pick them up and throw them into their newly constructed pen. Before you call PETA on me, Morps need to go into pens as per the instructions of the long list of tasks your Captain gives you (he, apparently, does very little). It makes sense, though, as Morps are a goldmine of resources; you need to keep them close by and easily accessible for when a task demands you to overexert yourself in the name of exploration and science.
But as I previously hinted at, the Morps aren’t the ones who steal the show here, despite how hard their twee aesthetic tries – it’s the endless possibilities of the game itself. As a sandbox title, Time to Morp is designed to develop alongside your understanding of it, consequently creating an experience that has no expiration. Even if you manage to complete every task your crewmembers set for you, the range of ways you can customise your adventure keeps the axis of intergalactic exploration turning.
In that respect, it reminds me of the hold Animal Crossing: New Horizons had over its fandom, of which I’m included, long after the main story finished. I’ve already found myself deconstructing one of my creations to reuse the resources better as my knowledge of this evolving world becomes clearer to me. Each finishing flourish of a new plant or well-placed building all playing their part in making my campaign personalised. It feels intrinsically me; a creation that exudes my personality and mine alone.
Even the underbaked aspects of its gameplay can’t dampen how attached I am to my life as a fully-fledged saviour of the Morps. That being said, I’d like to see those elements addressed as the game continues its early access journey; specifically, the lack of animations.
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Gathering resources is a vital part of this sim. For the most part, the devs have got it right, making the collection of resources ridiculously undemanding; you select whatever you want to mine and hold a button to collect it. There are no error messages that your backpack is full, or a need for you to upgrade your tools. Where other farming games force you to manually enact the process through tapping the same button over and over, Time to Morp removes that monotonous mechanic.
Unfortunately, that accessibility is scuppered by the lack of involvement from your character during said process – there’s no movement, no life to the actions they carry out. If I’m mining for ore, I want to see my character pick axing away at the boulder, not just standing there like a scarecrow. For a sim to work, it needs to have that essence of liveliness; to feel like a fantastical extension of life. Or, at least, it does for me. Without that, you’re just a collection of colourful pixels that underwhelms by underselling its potential. There’s no heart.
Even if the animations are left out for the foreseeable future, Time to Morp needs more of a narrative to guide it, for the one it has now is far too lax. I know, I know – this is a sandbox game, not an epic RPG, but so many gamers (like me) appreciate a yarn to unravel while we play, to add purpose to the character’s action if nothing else. I don’t need romance options or a dark backstory to enjoy playing with Morps, but I’d like a tangible thread to follow beyond the overused concept of ‘we crash landed, now you need to survive’.
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Patches have already been released, one of which is meant to provide “new and polished quests” to create a “solid gameplay experience with a satisfying conclusion”. As such, it’s evident the devs are dedicated to Time to Morp being more than a monetarily cute flash in the pan before it fades to grey like so many others of its kind.
There is such potential here, a lot of which is still untapped. We’re in the very early stages of a game that’s on the cusp of becoming an indie darling, so long as the devs listen to feedback while also adhering to their personal vision of what Time to Morp should be. It’s a pot ready to boil over with all its what-ifs of greatness; I just hope we get to see the true depth of this sim realised sooner rather than later. Lest its intrigue be spent, and with it, the Morps lost to space.
Pros: Adorable creatures, super easy controls, and the potential to expand indefinitely
Cons: Lacks polish, still very early days, and too loose a narrative
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For Fans Of: Pokémon, Fae Farm, Palworld, and other cosy sim titles
8/10: Excellent
Time to Morp is available on Steam. Steam code provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Indie Games, Steam, Microsoft, PC