Morphopolis
- August 14, 2014
- Ceri Williams
- 2h median play time
A loading screen that hopes you'll stick around and an underdeveloped hint system may prove troublesome. But it's not enough to pull down such a marvellous and emotionally engaging experience.
Get on SteamMorphopolis is a single-player Fantasy Adventure game with phenomenal hand-drawn graphics and a great soundtrack. As an aphid grub, you'll journey through an insect world, solving puzzles and discovering secrets. However, expect lots of grinding and bugs, and be aware of its low replayability.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Beautifully made with stunning art and relaxing music.
- Interesting puzzles that provide a nice challenge without being overly difficult.
- Short playtime makes it easy to enjoy in one sitting.
- Controls are frustratingly slow and unresponsive, making movement tedious.
- Lack of instructions or guidance for puzzles can lead to confusion and frustration.
- No mid-level save feature, forcing players to restart levels if they exit.
- music1,000 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in "Morphopolis" is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the game's beautiful visuals and creating a relaxing experience. While many players find the soundtrack soothing and fitting for the game's aesthetic, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of serene music and stunning artwork contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a pleasant choice for those seeking a tranquil gaming experience.
“Morphopolis' picturesque backdrops and soothing soundtrack are immediately inviting.”
“The music is soothing, giving off a unique sense of ambiance in the world.”
“The music complements the rest of the game's atmosphere with quietly soothing loops that fade to the background and don't distract from the rest of the game.”
“The music is quite annoying.”
“The speed at which you move in this game is so damn slow and the music in stage 5 loops and it has a 10 second long bass boosted note that destroys your ears.”
“The last one was particularly annoying because I wanted to throw on a podcast (since the game has such a slow pace) but the game's music completely drowned out anything else I played on my computer.”
- graphics984 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Morphopolis" are widely praised for their stunning, hand-drawn art style, which features vibrant colors and intricate details reminiscent of a children's picture book. Many reviewers highlight the artwork as the game's strongest aspect, creating a relaxing and immersive atmosphere, although some note that the visuals can sometimes hinder gameplay by blending objects into the background. Overall, while the graphics are celebrated, they are often seen as overshadowing the game's lackluster gameplay mechanics.
“The art style is amazing, to say the least!”
“The graphics are stunning and I found the gameplay interesting; later levels are pretty challenging.”
“The artwork is incredibly beautiful and the music is really interesting.”
“There are many similar games that have better graphics and much much better puzzles to solve than this one.”
“The controls are bad, the puzzles are bad, the character movement is bad... the only redeeming quality is the artwork, and honestly, if that's what you're into, buy a painting.”
“Despite the vibrant art style which drew me to Morphopolis, I really can't recommend the game at any price since it has so much difficulty actually providing gameplay.”
- gameplay609 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Morphopolis" is characterized by its slow pace and lack of clear direction, leading to frustration as players often resort to trial and error to solve puzzles. While the game features beautiful artwork and a relaxing soundtrack, the mechanics are clunky and the gameplay is primarily focused on hidden object searching with minimal guidance, making it feel repetitive and simplistic. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but falls short in delivering engaging and intuitive gameplay.
“The tranquil audio, and just an all round chilled gameplay, combined with an outstanding art style, is without a doubt one to pick up!”
“The overall gameplay was something I enjoyed, with the puzzles' lack of explanations feeling rather immersive, although at times frustrating.”
“Morphopolis is a fine example of good design that is a perfect combination of relaxing casual gameplay, pleasant music, and beautiful graphics.”
“None of them are difficult puzzles mechanically, but the lack of clear direction makes them nearly impossible to understand without trial and error or simply searching for solutions.”
“The gameplay for me consisted of trying to figure out what to interact with and then giving up and clicking everywhere on the screen until something happens; I am not proud of it, but hey, I get impatient.”
“The game looks very pretty and sounds nice too, but it's slow and frustrating for what should be a relaxing experience, and not worth the money for what little gameplay is given to the player.”
- story274 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story in "Morphopolis" is minimal and often described as non-existent, primarily consisting of a series of fetch quests involving insects. While some players find the art and atmosphere charming, many criticize the lack of a coherent narrative or character development, leading to a gameplay experience that feels more like a collection of puzzles than a traditional story-driven game. Overall, the game is appreciated for its visuals but is not recommended for those seeking a strong narrative.
“Inspired by games like Machinarium and Tiny Bang Story, Morphopolis is a game about transformation and exploration.”
“The visuals are very beautiful and it has a nice story behind it all.”
“It is a stunning story about nature and biology which is well complemented by the illustration style.”
“There really is no story in Morphopolis.”
“The storyline is non-existent, but I feel this game does not need a storyline.”
“There's no story, just five chapters that wordlessly depict scenes from the everyday lives of various insects.”
- atmosphere208 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Morphopolis" is widely praised for its beautiful hand-drawn art, calming music, and immersive sound design, creating a relaxing and meditative experience. Players appreciate the vibrant and unique environment, enhanced by ambient sounds of nature, which contributes to a peaceful and otherworldly feel. While the gameplay may be simplistic and occasionally frustrating, the overall aesthetic and atmosphere make it a worthwhile experience for those seeking a tranquil escape.
“A tapestry of chirping crickets and tweeting birds puts the finishing touches on Morphopolis' atmosphere.”
“This is a truly gorgeous experience with a very vibrant and unique atmosphere.”
“The music complements the rest of the game's atmosphere with quietly soothing loops that fade to the background and don't distract from the rest of the game.”
“Aside from the atmosphere, the game is very minimalist, controls are clunky, and it will take you around 90 minutes to clear it 100% with no replay value.”
“Rediculously boringly slow in an attempt to create atmosphere.”
“I was likewise unimpressed by the art and atmosphere of the game, but you can chalk that up to personal preference.”
- replayability72 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it can be completed in a short time (around 1-2 hours) and offers little incentive to play again. While some players appreciate the art and music enough to revisit it occasionally, the consensus is that the gameplay experience does not warrant multiple playthroughs.
“Probably doesn't have a huge replay value as such (aside from listening to the music and enjoying the art), but personally I don't mind pulling it back out of my library to have a laid-back moment after a hectic day.”
“While this game does not possess a lot of replay value, it is worth it for the single playthrough.”
“It's kind of unique and has some replay value.”
“Aside from the atmosphere, the game is very minimalist, controls are clunky, and it will take you around 90 minutes to clear it 100% with no replay value.”
“The game is short (I beat it in about 2 hours) and does not really have any replay value, but I still say buy it if you have a couple of extra dollars available.”
“So if you're looking for a game with replay value, don't waste your money.”
- grinding70 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious controls and slow movement, which significantly detracts from the overall experience. Players frequently express frustration with the repetitive back-and-forth navigation required to collect items and solve puzzles, leading to a monotonous gameplay experience. While some appreciate the visuals and variety in puzzles, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding mechanics make the game feel unnecessarily drawn out and unenjoyable.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Overall, I found this game to be unbelievably tedious.”
“Getting the bug to move from screen to screen was tedious, having to go back to old screens to collect items you weren't allowed to collect originally, and having to figure out what you were to do on each screen became monotonous.”
“Unfortunately, some design issues make progression very tedious, making this a weak recommendation at best.”
- stability54 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting buggy controls, slow movement, and occasional crashes. While some users experienced no glitches, many found the character movement frustratingly unresponsive and prone to getting stuck. The game's enjoyable elements are often overshadowed by these stability issues, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall performance.
“I really like the idea of this game but still can't recommend it as it still feels too buggy.”
“This game is meant to be an experience with beautiful graphics and music, but all of that is thrown out the window with the fact that it is so buggy with the controls and too slow movement speed.”
“I enjoyed the core gameplay and setting, immersing myself in the world and the journey of the aphid, but there are way too many omissions of features that would have reduced the amount of times I was simply jarred out of the game by frustration at its minimal interface and sometimes buggy mechanics.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -6 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a soothing experience that allows players to immerse themselves in a heart-warming atmosphere and vibrant colors, despite some frustrating puzzles that can evoke strong feelings. While the story is considered lacking, the combination of touching music and a sense of accomplishment contributes to a beautifully designed experience that resonates emotionally with players. Overall, it is seen as a worthwhile journey that balances moments of frustration with emotional engagement.
“This game is a soothing emotional experience.”
“It's about forgetting all your troubles and letting yourself immerse in the colors, in the heart-warming atmosphere.”
“But it's not enough to pull down such a marvelous and emotionally engaging experience.”
“The story is incredibly boring; there is no emotional depth at all. It's just solving riddles and crawling inside a giant insect repeatedly.”
“The narrative lacks any emotional engagement, making it feel tedious and uninteresting.”
“I found the emotional aspect to be non-existent, as the gameplay revolves around repetitive tasks without any meaningful story.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received criticism for its unresponsive gameplay and lack of user interface feedback, leading to confusion during play. Despite the appealing graphics, performance issues on PC hinder the overall experience, particularly with puzzle interactions. Overall, players feel that significant improvements are needed in both interface and gameplay responsiveness.
“[Graphics/Performance: (with a 970, 4790k, 16GB of RAM, SSD)]”
“An optimization of the user interface would probably have made things easier because, due to the lack of feedback, there were situations in which I didn't know what to do or how to do it.”
“Beautiful art, but gameplay is poorly optimized for play on PC, with puzzles and objects being extremely unresponsive when clicked with a mouse.”
“[graphics/performance: (with a 970, 4790k, 16gb of ram, ssd)]”
- humor8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent; while some players find it short and amusing, others feel it falls flat and lacks genuine comedic value. Overall, the humor is perceived as slightly present but not universally effective, with mixed reactions regarding its impact on the gaming experience.
“Short but funny.”
“Very colorful, very detailed, relatively easy, short, relaxing, and slightly humorous.”
“It's not bad, but it's not funny for me...”
“It's not bad, but it's not funny for me...”
- character development4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from a significant lack of character development and plot, with many players feeling that the visual elements overshadow any meaningful storytelling. The short gameplay duration further exacerbates this issue, leading to a recommendation only for those seeking a discounted experience.
“Considering the extremely short game time, and the complete lack of plot and character development, I would only recommend this game if you find it on sale or have a coupon.”
“This is what happens when only the visual department works in a game (i.e. background art, character designs, setting in general...)”
