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For those players that are new to Time on Frog Island, there’s a lot to enjoy, explore, and discover. From chatting with the charming frog residents to running through the grass, sand, and ocean, players are treated to a sandbox style of gameplay. However, there are some good things to keep in mind when first jumping into this game.
5 This Game Doesn’t Hold Your Hand At All
Time on Frog Island is one heck of a confusing, confounding, and ambiguous game, something that is often in stark contrast to the game’s whimsical presentation. The start of the game sees your ship captain stranded on a seemingly laidback island, one that is teeming with life, more specifically, from the game’s anthropomorphic frog residents. It’s clear the frogs are confused about why this character has shipwrecked on their home island.
Right from the start, the only vague goal is that players must repair their small boat in order to leave. The story intertwines moments of narrative during dreamlike sequences but these do little to explain much. This is very much a game that throws you right into things with little direction on what to do next.
4 Exploration And Patience Are Critical
Because Time on Frog Island is filled with ambiguity, there are two important things to consider when first hopping into this game; exploration and patience. Exploration is a necessity in this game since there aren’t any overarching quests, goals (apart from fixing the ship), or markers. Players are left to their own devices as they wander the island, hoping to stumble across a waypoint, some sort of a sign, or a puzzle.
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Similarly, patience is also required from the player since this isn’t a game that can be rushed through. Take the time to understand each part of the island from the forests to the fields to the frog village to the mountain peaks. The game also, disappointingly, doesn’t give players a map which can lead to lots of aimless wandering. By focusing on exploration and patience, the experience in Time on Frog Island will be much more rewarding.
3 Speak To Every Frog And Be Mindful Of Their Thoughts
Time on Frog Island doesn’t feature voice acting, traditional quests, waypoints, or menus, something that can lead to more frustration than fun, unfortunately. However, that doesn’t mean the game lacks complete direction. The one surefire way to figure out what to do next on Frog Island is, of course, by chatting with each of the frog residents. These frogs live all around the island and most of them can be interacted with, however, not all of them will be amenable to speaking to players right off the bat.
Some frogs like the artist and the hiker are eager to chat with you and will even try to help you out should you bring them something first. None of this information is told to the player in an easy-to-understand way but only in terms of pictures within speech bubbles. Players should interact with the frogs many times in order to understand what they are looking for, and, in turn, how they can help the player fix their ship to escape.
2 Try Out Every Single Item You Stumble Across
There are tons of unique items to stumble across in Time on Frog Island but not all of them will be incredibly useful, at least early on. Items in this game consist of interactive objects that the player can pick up such as fruits, bees nests, and these little plant things that zoom the player across the map with their whirly aspects. These interactive items are fun to try out but it’s not always clear what they do until players see what happens.
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Another great example of an early game island are the giant leaves that can be plucked. Once plucked, the player can jump from a high platform or cliff to soar across an area, much like the glider from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game also has puzzle items like the lily pads that offer up distinct sound effects once jumped onto, something players will have to figure out as the game progresses.
1 When In Doubt, Make A Campfire And Go To Sleep
Interestingly, Time on Frog Island features a day/night cycle, something that changes the gameplay in terms of the frogs you can chat with and how players move about the game world. As evening falls, the player character will start to yawn. It’s at this point that players can decide to keep exploring Frog Island to solve puzzles and find items, or, better yet, they can head back to the camp area near the wrecked ship in order to sleep for the night.
Oftentimes depending on the time of day or even the weather, certain situations will arise that are required for the player to progress. Anytime progress seems halted during the adventure, simply head back to camp, add some logs to the fire, and head off to dreamland. Sleeping until the next day can open up new opportunities on Frog Island and there are even some mini cutscenes woven into these sleeping segments.
Time on Frog Island is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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