One of my favorite games from last year was the space exploration game Morphite ($7.99) from We’re Five Games and Crescent Moon, which launched on iOS just shy of a year ago. While all the pre-release coverage led many to think this was a pocket-sized version of No Man’s Sky, when Morphite actually released it turned out to be quite a bit different, and that was a good thing. You’re still zipping around the galaxy exploring randomly generated planets, but the scope is a lot smaller and more manageable as a mobile game. It also has much more in common with the Metroid series in terms of general vibe and story, and for all these reasons and more we picked Morphite for our Game of the Week when it released because it was just so darn enjoyable.

A couple of months after the iOS release an update brought full iPhone X support and iCloud game saving, and around that same time the game received a warm welcome when it launched on the Nintendo Switch. Things have been a bit quiet since then but this week another new update for Morphite has hit the App Store. The big new feature is a new Free Flight mode that lets you control the steering and acceleration of your ship when traveling between planets in the Star Map. Previously you’d just pick a planet and automatically fly there, so this adds a bit of interest to the affair. The update also includes some interface fixes for iPhone X devices, though your weapon switching menu is still a bit blocked if you’re a “Home button on the right" player like myself. Finally Morphite is now a buck off to celebrate this new update, so if you’ve been wanting a chill space adventure with a heavy emphasis on exploring cool worlds I really can’t recommend it enough.