Time To Morp: First Contact

Time to Morp: First Contact is a short sandbox colony sim designed to introduce you to the mechanics and the story of Time to Morp universe! Play alone or with friends, build an outpost, gather resources, unlock equipment and be the first to learn about Morps - curious little creatures that inhabit the planet. Play your way! 1-4 players - Time to Morp is a great solo experience, but it is even …

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Play Modes

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

monetization9 negative mentions

The game is fun, cute, and engaging, with charming creature designs that appeal to players.
It serves as a good introductory demo for the main game, showcasing solid mechanics and easy-to-understand controls.
Players are excited about the potential of the full game, with many expressing a desire to wishlist it and play more.

The game is criticized for being more of an advertisement for the main game rather than a standalone experience, leading to disappointment among players.
Visual quality is low, with some players finding the graphics unappealing and the tutorial style off-putting.
There are concerns about misleading marketing practices, as the demo feels incomplete and lacks sufficient content to justify its presence on the platform.

monetization
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "time to morp: first contact" is criticized for being essentially an advertisement rather than a standalone game, misleading players and taking up valuable marketing space that could be used for actual games. Users express that while it is free, it offers no real value and is akin to consuming ads rather than engaging with a legitimate gaming experience. This practice of publishing demos or ads as separate games is seen as a harmful tactic by developers to avoid paying for proper marketing.
- “This is only free in the same way that adverts on YouTube and banner ads in your browser are.”
- “While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and in some ways harmful.”
- “Often developers may choose to incorrectly publish demo/advertisements as separate games as a cheap way to bypass paying Valve for marketing presence on the Steam front page, which may seem clever to them, but it's harmful behavior and it's not good for gamers.”
gameplay
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay offers a solid introduction to the core mechanics of the factory simulation, featuring construction, resource management, and automation elements. While some players may initially find certain mechanics frustrating, the main game promises upgrades and additional features that enhance the experience. The cutesy art style and performance are generally well-received, though the first contact version lacks access to many showcased mechanics.
- “It gives a decent insight into what the main game has to offer and how the base mechanics of this cute little factory game work.”
- “Gameplay looks and feels solid enough, performance doesn't seem bad, and I like the cutesy style for the morps.”
- “From what I've seen playing First Contact, the game has a lot to offer with its construction and resource management/automation mechanics.”
- “Else you will think some mechanics and things are annoying and frustrating and not implemented while in the main game you can eventually upgrade things and automate tasks!”
- “On the base game's Steam page, the trailers showcase so many other mechanics and morps that we don't have access to in the first contact version.”
- “Gameplay looks and feels solid enough, performance doesn't seem bad and I like the cutesy style for the morps.”
graphics
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature low-quality, low-poly 3D visuals that may not appeal to all gamers, but the charming creature designs and fun art style are praised. Overall, the visuals are simple and accessible, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “Creature designs and art style have so much charm.”
- “Love the graphics for the game, very fun style, I can't wait to see what morphs are added.”
- “Most of it is pretty simple and quick to pick up with both visuals and text teaching you how to do things.”
- “This features fairly low quality low poly 3D visuals which will deter a lot of gamers, understandably.”
story
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The story features a hovering companion that engages primarily during key plot moments, minimizing distractions for players. However, some users note that the quest line can be misleading, potentially causing players to overlook important information and complete the demo gameplay too quickly.
- “The hovering companion only talks during plot moments and is otherwise relatively unobtrusive, so you don't have to worry about having an annoying sidekick.”
- “While there is still a bit of polish needed here and there, the quest line offers intriguing elements of knowledge that enhance the overall experience.”
- “The quest line is slightly misleading, and if you only follow it, you'll miss out on some useful elements of knowledge while getting through the demo gameplay very quickly.”
- “The hovering companion only talks during plot moments and is otherwise relatively out of the way, so you don't have to worry about having an annoying sidekick.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is characterized as wholesome and cute, providing a comforting escape that helps players take their minds off stress and worries.
- “A wholesome and cute little game that helps you take your mind off things.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me.”
- “I felt a genuine connection to the story, which made the experience unforgettable.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with players noting solid gameplay performance and an appealing visual style.
- “The gameplay looks and feels solid enough, and the performance doesn't seem bad. I really like the cutesy style for the characters.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end devices.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the game to ensure a seamless experience with minimal lag.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the charming visuals, the optimization is lacking, causing long loading times and crashes on lower-end systems.”
- “I was disappointed to find that the game runs poorly even on high-end hardware, making it frustrating to enjoy the experience.”