Morels: The Hunt 2 is an upcoming game from developer Abrams Studios that combines the joys of mushroom hunting and photography into one chill-as-hell experience.
Mycologists and photographers unite! Described as a simulation game about mushroom hunting and wildlife photography, Morels: The Hunt 2 lets gamers explore a huge range of locations that span across the globe.
“Find as many morel mushrooms as you can while capturing photos of wildlife that you encounter, all while enjoying the sounds and experiences of nature surrounding you. Explore locations all around the world,” Abrams Studios says. “You will get 100 days per season as you unlock locations along your journey and discover hunting secrets, along with a few surprises!”
The combination of mushroom hunting and photography isn’t necessarily one that is common, but the two hobbies happen to have a lot in common. The gameplay loop asks players to collect and learn about as many new mushrooms as possible while upping their Mushroom Hunter level. At the same time, forest environments where mushrooms grow also happen to be great places to see wildlife, and Abrams Studios fully embraces this by letting players capture them all through the digital lens.
Morels 2 builds on the first mushroom hunting and photo-taking game, Morels: The Hunt which came out in 2019, by adding more locations, mushrooms, and animals. The developer also added several new items to the shop like bird feeders, sunglasses, and a compass. It also, somewhat hilariously, integrates mythological creatures that players may stumble across.
The game not only provides what it promises are realistic environments, it fills them with realistic weather. Mushroom hunting and photography don’t ever sleep, and Morels 2 does allow players to venture out into the night, if they are so inclined.
In total, there are seven unique maps that take players across the globe and feature the promise of different terrain and “surprises.” All photos are stored in an in-game book to be reviewed at any time and, as a bonus, they are also stored locally on a player’s PC.
“Customize the game to your interests by choosing from a broad list of different music or just enjoy the calming sounds of nature,” Abrams Studios adds.
Morels: The Hunt 2 is available to wishlist on Steam today and is expected to release sometime in 2024 for $20, although a specific date had been set at the time of publication.