• Price: $24.99 USD (digital, currently on sale for $19.99 until July 26th); $34.99 (physical)
• Developer: Half Past Yellow
• Publisher: Merge Games
• Release Date: July 12, 2022

A review code was kindly provided by Merge Games on behalf of Half Past Yellow. We thank them for being able to cover something they’ve worked so hard on.

Time on Frog Island starts off with your character and his ship washing ashore on the titular Frog Island. You first encounter a “humanoid” frog painter, but you can’t communicate with them directly for obvious reasons. In order to fix your ship though, you’ll have to figure out what the inhabitants of Frog Island will want in exchange for assistance with fixing the damaged parts of your boat.

The frogs on the island convey their requested items through images in speech bubbles. Most of it was easy to interpret, although other tasks could be confusing, with a lack of clear goals. I think it may have been better if they had included an objective screen that fully explained the goals if you don’t understand all of the image-based communication. There were some images I had difficulty understanding at first (i.e. the pearl), and additional text-based hints may have at least helped some.

There are various achievements to earn, which is a nice addition for those achievement hunters out there! It’s easier to determine the conditions for some achievements, like replacing individual parts of your ship, but others will take a little more effort to understand. I particularly liked the one called “Sailor Swift.” 😉

The game really emphasizes exploration and figuring things out on your own. I initially had a hard time navigating the island, but after a few trips I managed to figure out where things were for the most part. I did like that when I tried to give something to a frog, they’d let me know if it was the right item with a happy face or a confused face.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an inventory system to manage your items. There isn’t a backpack or storage area to keep multiple items around for when you need them. You can only carry one item with you at a time, so when I had multiple items I needed from one area I had to return there once I’d delivered the first item. And some items, like the pearl, would often end up rolling into water and disappearing. I wish we could build a makeshift storage area to keep items safe.

The campsite is usually where I tried to temporarily keep items I needed to deliver the next day (when the frogs were out and about, not in their houses). In order to sleep at the campsite, you’ll need your houseplant to keep you company, your sleeping bag, and logs to start a fire. (The logs conveniently spawn right around the edges of the campsite, which is nice.) Time passes on the island, and once night falls you can’t really interact with the frogs besides the tavern froggy. You’re not forced to sleep at a specific time, but your character starts complaining about being tired eventually.

There are several mechanics in the game that require you to come back the next day to get an item. You can use different items as bait for fishing. Some of them may be items you wouldn’t expect to use as bait. Once you’ve placed the bait, you have to come back the next day to see what you’ve caught. I wish there was more variety in the available fish, but the fish you do catch can be used to make different concoctions drinks at the tavern.

You can drink what you brew in the tavern, or you can give the beverages to a frog for a quest. The tavern keeper will let you know which ingredients are required for a specific recipe. These beverages are capable of providing you with special abilities. Some of these abilities are permanent, while others – like speed boosts – are temporary. You can use that speed boost for the optional speed trials around the island.

I did find it a little odd that you do not seem to need to eat like one would expect in a game where you’re stranded. Besides the tavern drinks you make, you don’t eat any of the food you find. There’s a farm near your initial campsite where you can eventually grow things, so it was strange not to have to eat. You can also just take some of the farmer’s crops and use those, so the farming aspect – while nice – seemed unnecessary.

Eventually, you can have the carpenter frog build you a more permanent shelter in the form of a house, which is built right next to the farm. The house is honestly one of my favorite features in Time on Frog Island. I think it’s amusing that we build a house on the island we’re going to leave. (Do you sell it to one of the frogs once you’ve fixed your ship and leave the island? Is there a realtor frog for that? Or does your character keep the house to use as a vacation home? 🤔) Anyways, I love that there are items you can find to decorate the house. I do wish that there were more items to use to customize your house further. Its main function is to give you a place to sleep instead of using one of the campfires, but I love customization in games so I would have liked to do more of it.

Another part of the game that I loved was the art style; your character, who is the only human, reminds me a little bit of Dipper from Gravity Falls. The frogs are all really quirky and cute. I especially like the “tadpups” that follow you around and bark like dogs. The designs for the Blacksmith, Merchant, and Chief were some of my favorites. I also loved the smaller details that add to the island’s frog theme, such as the church’s stained glass window with a frog’s webbed foot.

I also think that they did a good job telling a story without dialogue. Speaking the same language as the frogs wasn’t necessary to understand the developing romance between the artist and guard frogs, for example. I was able to watch interactions between the frogs and understand what their conflict was about. It’s hard to tell a good story without words, but I think they managed it.

Switch it ON or Switch it OFF? Time on Frog Island is incredibly cute and quirky. The lack of explicit instructions and inability to carry multiple items at the same time can make the game a little difficult for some people. I would have liked a little more in terms of character interactions and some other features. But the character interactions that are there are easy to understand and add to the island’s charm. There are also many side quests in the game that allow you to spend more time on Frog Island. If you like frogs, exploring, and discovering secrets, hop on over to the island! 🐸 🏝 7.5/10