REVIEW: Morels: Out of This World (2026 Video Game) on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

Morels: Out of This World is one of those games that immediately knows exactly what it wants to be. It does not chase action, major survival mechanics, crafting systems, or endless busywork. Instead, it leans fully into slow exploration, mushroom hunting, and wildlife photography across strange alien planets, and to its credit, it sticks to that vision from beginning to end.

Set across four handcrafted alien worlds, the game drops players into environments that feel genuinely unusual. One moment you are wandering through glowing jungles filled with strange plant life, the next you are crossing dusty desert landscapes or exploring forests where dinosaurs still roam freely. The variety in atmosphere is honestly impressive. Even when the actual objectives remain familiar, the visual creativity keeps things feeling fresh for quite a while.

The strongest part of the game is easily the atmosphere. Morels: Out of This World is incredibly relaxing. There is no combat, no danger constantly breathing down your neck, (except for running out of energy and the screen turns black and white) and no pressure to rush. You simply walk, observe, collect mushrooms, and photograph creatures at your own pace. It creates a calm and cosy experience that feels almost therapeutic at times. Sitting quietly while waiting for the perfect wildlife photo, or stumbling across a hidden patch of rare alien fungi, becomes strangely satisfying.

Visually, the game is pretty in places. The alien planets are packed with colour and imagination, and there is a real sense that the developer enjoyed creating these environments. Some locations genuinely feel otherworldly without becoming too chaotic or difficult to navigate. The lighting effects, unusual vegetation, and bizarre wildlife all come together nicely, making exploration rewarding even when you are technically doing very little.

The photography side of the game is probably the most engaging aspect overall. Hunting for the perfect creature shot gives you a reason to slow down and pay attention to your surroundings. Building up your photo book also adds a nice sense of progression. There is something satisfying about documenting creatures and slowly filling out your discoveries over time. For players who enjoy virtual photography in games, this may end up being the main reason to keep playing.

Seasonal changes also deserve praise. Mushroom locations shifting, wildlife behaving differently, and weather conditions changing between seasons help the worlds feel more alive. It stops the maps from becoming completely static, and it encourages repeat visits to familiar locations. Weekly tasks and unlockable hunter manual pages also add small goals that help give structure to the experience without ruining its laid back tone.

That said, the game absolutely will not appeal to everyone.

The slow pace can become repetitive surprisingly quickly. As beautiful as the worlds are, the core gameplay loop never really evolves beyond walking around, collecting mushrooms, and taking photographs. There are moments where the lack of variety starts to catch up with the experience, especially during longer play sessions. If the atmosphere does not fully grab you early on, the gameplay alone may struggle to hold your interest.

I also found that progression can feel a little too slow at times. It took me far too long to find my first proper Morels, and by that point I was already starting to lose interest. The game clearly wants players to embrace patience and careful exploration, but there is a fine line between relaxing and tedious. Morels: Out of This World occasionally drifts into the latter.

Some players may also find certain mushroom designs and alien textures uncomfortable to look at. The heavy focus on clustered fungi, organic growths, and unusual surface patterns could easily trigger trypophobia for some people. It is worth mentioning because the visual style leans heavily into that kind of imagery throughout the game.

Ultimately, Morels: Out of This World is an extremely niche experience. For the right audience, it could become a genuinely relaxing escape, a peaceful game where you slowly wander alien planets photographing weird creatures and searching for hidden mushrooms. There really are not many games doing exactly this right now, and that uniqueness works heavily in its favour.

At the same time, anyone looking for challenge, faster progression, or deeper gameplay systems may struggle to stay invested. The beautiful presentation can only carry the repetitive gameplay loop so far.

Morels: Out of This World feels designed for a very specific type of player, and those players will probably adore it. I just cannot see it attracting a massive audience beyond that niche.

I score Morels: Out of This World a fair 6 out of 10.

Out Now on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4394020/Morels_Out_of_this_World/

REVIEW: Adorable Adventures (2026 Video Game) - on PlayStation 5

Review by Jon Donnis

There is something immediately charming about Adorable Adventures from the moment you take control of Boris, the energetic little baby boar at the centre of this gentle exploration game. Set against the backdrop of a forest recovering from a devastating fire, the game takes a surprisingly heartfelt approach to what could have easily been a far more basic family friendly platformer. Instead, it delivers a relaxing and often rewarding adventure that feels designed for players who simply want to wander, explore, and enjoy the journey at their own pace.

The game follows Boris as he searches for his missing family across a sprawling natural landscape inspired by the Cévennes National Park in Southern France. It is a genuinely beautiful world to spend time in. Rolling hills, shaded woodland paths, rocky caves, streams and open meadows all feel vibrant and alive on the PlayStation 5. The lighting is especially impressive, with warm sunlight filtering through trees and reflecting naturally across water and stone surfaces. For a game built around peaceful exploration, the visuals do a fantastic job of pulling you into its world.

Movement also feels playful and full of personality. Boris is constantly darting through fields, scrambling over rocks, splashing through rivers and rooting through bushes like an excitable animal discovering the world for the first time. Simply moving around is enjoyable. There is a carefree quality to the game that makes even small activities feel rewarding.

One of the most interesting mechanics is Boris’s developing sense of smell. Scents act as both navigation and puzzle solving tools throughout the adventure. What initially seems simple gradually becomes more layered as Boris learns to identify different smells and filter them out. You might begin tracking one scent trail only for another smell to interrupt the process completely, forcing you to investigate something else first before returning to your original objective. It creates a natural flow to exploration that keeps the gameplay engaging for quite a while.

The side activities are another pleasant surprise. Unlockable races where Boris sprints through checkpoint trails are genuinely entertaining, mostly because controlling the little boar is so enjoyable in the first place. Photography challenges, environmental clean up tasks and hidden secrets all help the world feel more interactive and lived in. There are countless small touches throughout the game that reward curiosity. One particularly memorable example comes from discovering a football and nudging it into a nearby goal, triggering a charming narrated response. Moments like that appear constantly across the adventure and give the game a warm personality.

The narration itself deserves praise as well. Maxime, the park ranger guiding Boris through his journey, adds a comforting tone to the experience. The voice work never feels overbearing and instead quietly complements the exploration and storytelling. The game understands that silence and atmosphere are just as important as dialogue.

Adorable Adventures also works brilliantly as an introduction to open world game design for younger players or newcomers to gaming. Objectives are easy to understand, the world encourages experimentation without punishment, and progression feels organic rather than stressful. It manages to teach exploration naturally through play instead of overwhelming players with endless markers or tutorials.

That said, the game is not without problems. The camera can become frustrating in tighter areas, especially when climbing steeper terrain or navigating enclosed spaces. There are moments where the camera angle fights against the player more than it should, occasionally making movement awkward. It is not game breaking, but it does happen often enough to stand out.

The main story is also relatively short if you focus only on the central objectives. Players who rush through the family rescue storyline will probably finish sooner than expected. Thankfully, the game encourages exploration strongly enough that completionists and curious players will find plenty more hidden throughout the world, including easter eggs and optional activities.

The biggest issue is repetition. While the smell tracking system is clever, the gameplay loop can start to feel familiar after extended sessions. Searching for scents, following trails and solving similarly structured tasks eventually loses some of its novelty. Whether this becomes a serious problem will depend entirely on the player. Younger gamers or those completely new to exploration games may never tire of it. In fact, it feels like exactly the sort of game many casual players will completely fall in love with.

Adorable Adventures succeeds because it understands exactly what it wants to be. It is not trying to reinvent open world games or deliver massive cinematic spectacle. Instead, it focuses on creating a peaceful, charming and genuinely relaxing experience filled with rewarding exploration and lovely little details. Between its beautiful presentation, enjoyable traversal mechanics and heartfelt atmosphere, it becomes very easy to simply relax and lose yourself in Boris’s adventure for a few hours.

Adorable Adventures is a warm, comforting and consistently enjoyable game that delivers exactly the kind of relaxing exploration experience it promises.

8.5 out of 10.

Out Now on PS5 - https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10017971/

REVIEW: Spirit of the North 2 (2025 Video Game) on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

Spirit of the North 2 builds upon the charm and beauty of its predecessor, offering a visually stunning but mechanically flawed follow-up. You once again take control of a lone fox, now accompanied by a raven companion, (so he is not a lone fox any more!) as you travel through an ancient world in search of the lost guardians. The core themes of solitude, discovery, and quiet resilience remain, though not always with the same impact.

The world itself is still the star. From frozen peaks to forgotten crypts, each biome offers something visually compelling. There is a relaxing rhythm to the experience, and the soundtrack enhances this beautifully. The environments encourage exploration and reflection, with plenty of hidden lore for those willing to read and dig deep. For fans of tranquil single-player adventures, it delivers some strong moments.

Unfortunately, this sequel also introduces several frustrating elements. Performance issues are noticeable, which should never be an issue on consoles, since it is not like you can upgrade the graphics card on an Xbox Series S. The new jump mechanic requires directional aiming before you leap, which feels awkward and interrupts natural movement. It's a step backward that I found frustrating.

There are also bugs. Some are minor visual glitches, but some can impact navigation or puzzle completion. The early cave section alone can take far too long due to lack of clear direction. Unlike the original, which had better flow despite its simplicity, this game often leaves you unsure of what to do next, look I get it, the developers want people to figure things out without a deep rule set of what to do, but give the player the option, some people just want to know where to go and what to do next.

The raven companion also disappoints. While useful in concept, it suffers from clunky animation and feels more like a distraction than a helpful partner. Given how elegant the fox itself looks and moves, the disparity is stark.

Spirit of the North 2 isn't a bad game, but it does feel unfinished. The new abilities and expanded world should make it superior to the original, but instead, several design choices make it feel less polished. There's still plenty here to enjoy, especially for those who loved the first game, but expect more frustration and less magic this time around.

Score: 6.5 out of 10

 

Out Now on Xbox

https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/spirit-of-the-north-2/9MTFLR6C8RQ2