There’s been a lot of excitement for this game. I’ve been seeing many people play it. At first, this category was going to be for No Man’s Sky. Now I realize, I think it would good to play many field research type of games. As long as it fits the theme of my website, why not!?

The Ghost in the Machine: Hour 1 – The Uninvited Guests

I already have major complaints before I even start the game. I installed the game directly from their website, which downloaded their TapTap software. Right as I try and open the game, it asks to link to a Google or Facebook account. Which is fine; that’s fairly standard for games.

However, the experience quickly shifted from comfy to concerning when it asked for access to my local network. My… what now!? I might sound like that old man yelling at the clouds, but in all my time doing field research, I don’t think I’ve ever had a game require a look at my local network just to let me in.

I am not the only one complaining about this. Many people that claimed they uninstalled everything very quickly because they were concerned.

Understandably, the game likely offers local play with friends, but it was the combination of requests that created a “Shadow” over the experience.

For instance, right as the installation finished, I noticed a new service that appeared to be THEMIS on my computer. This is often described as a “Kernel-level” guard—software that runs at the highest privilege level of a computer. Based on the timing, it seemed tied directly to my new “comfy” install. It makes me wonder: do we really need that level of system access just to catch pretend bugs and go pretend fishing?

But then, when it wouldn’t let me play because I denied access to my local network, I simply decided to uninstall it. Right as I pressed the uninstall button, I noticed what appeared to be a checkbox to “keep local files” or whatever the exact phrasing was. It seemed that, by default, uninstalling it would have still kept their things on my computer.

For future purposes, I’ve decided to play the mobile version of this game. It feels much safer to me than being forced to give local access and having things installing in the background without my knowing.

The Mobile Shift: Heartopia Gameplay and First Impressions

The intro video was very cute! You get to see the characters and environment before even starting the game. There is an option to skip it for those who want to jump in immediately.

The customization has a lot of potential, though it’s mostly just the basics for now. I think they could get really creative with the clothing in the future.

I just built my first house, and it’s an incredible dark blue. So far, this game shows a lot of promise regarding customization and design. Soon, we’ll be heading out to find some animals. I assume that since the game is new, there won’t be many species yet, but the possibilities for what they can add are endless! Not to mention, the game is seemingly available on almost every platform.

I can’t get over how beautiful it looks. Also, my character looks like a young Taylor Swift—which was totally unintentional on my part! I currently have her walking around in pajamas and a simple pink t-shirt. We have major comfy vibes here!

Apparently, I am now a member of the D.G. Member’s Guild (also known as the GAMG). Being a member means I can unlock cool new things depending on my activities, such as fishing. I’m pretty excited thinking about all the possibilities.

The game also allows you to choose the titles you want to be called by, which basically defines your personality type. I chose “Study Bug, Adventurous, Study Bug.” I know—I’m so deep in my field research that I had to make it known twice! It might not be the most creative choice, but it definitely fits my brand!

The Developer Grade: My Field Research into Heartopia’s Progression System

Now that I am a D.G Member, I assume I can start doing more quests and unlocking stuff so let’s get right to it!

Okay, so they’re explaining exactly what I will get. I get contribution points for completing requests from people. This allows me hobby expansions and better upgrades for things such as rarer fish.

It actually shows you what you will unlock in the future. That’s very cool! I think I actually spot when I will unlock the photo option for in-game captures.

I’ve unlocked fishing and caught my first Common Bleak’s. This is way better than going out into the real world and having to walk for hours before I find a good fishing spot!

They gave me an option to see all the possible collectibles in the game as well as ones I already captured. This is what I wanted. And they do have more clothing options so that was something I was hoping they would do. Now, if do something similar with animals you come across in the wild this game would be close to perfect for me.

Heartopia Review 2026: Final First Impressions and Gameplay Verdict

Overall, I’m really enjoying this game. The fact that I keep thinking of ways to improve it is actually a good sign; it means I’m invested and brimming with ideas on how to make the experience even better.

As I initially thought, the collectibles aren’t massive at the moment. However, considering the game just released, I’m not going to fault it. The potential is there for a massive library of clothing options, animal species, and breeds. The game is still fun regardless, but that lack of variety is the only real thing holding it back right now.

Since this is also a mobile game, I am extremely confident that microtransactions are coming, as well as DLC on every other platform.

I don’t usually pay for extras in games, but for this one, I just might. If they ever add snake species, it’s “GG”—my life is over, and I’m just going to stay home playing Heartopia all day.

Hopefully once I unlock photo options I can start sharing my experience in more detail with you all. Having to talk about my house and not show you how lovely it looks is destroying me!

Field Research Disclaimer: This content is for entertainment and conceptual purposes only. I am not a medical, legal, or financial professional. This transformative narrative is an independent work of research by the Comfy Chaos Collective. It is an independent critique and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the developers or publishers of the games featured in this series. All in-game captures are used for the purpose of criticism, review, and research under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Canadian Copyright Act (Sections 29, 29.1, and 29.2). Some imagery, including thumbnails and illustrations, are AI-generated or assisted.