It's very difficult to define the genre of Caravan SandWitch exactly. Is it an action/adventure with no action, or a metro dungeon crawler without a platform part, or a community simulator or a car simulator? One thing is for sure: Caravan SandWitch is a cute and cozy game in the world of which you can just spend time.
| Game | Caravan SandWitch |
| Genre | action/adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 |
| Languages | English |
| Developer | Studio Plane Toast |
| Publisher | Dear Villagers |
| Link | caravansandwitch.com |
The protagonist of Caravan SandWitch, Suge (Sage in French), returns to her home planet Sigalo because she suddenly receives a distress signal from her sister's ship, Garance (Crane). The ship disappeared six years ago, and everyone thought Garance was dead, but now it seems to have reappeared somewhere near home. But to find the crash site, they must first find and turn off the signal suppressors left on Sigalo by the evil corporation that turned the once flourishing world into a desert, and then find a way to locate the missing ship, because it is caught in the center of a terrible storm that has been raging for 40 years at the site of a failed experiment. Also, someone seems to be watching the Suj. Are these the same Sand Witches whose tales scare the children in Sigalo?
Despite this intense synopsis, there is nothing scary or aggressive about Caravan SandWitch. In fact, it's a very peaceful, relaxed game that takes its time, giving you time to explore the world and socialize with the other inhabitants of Sigalo. There are secrets here, of course, and someone is definitely watching you, but the general atmosphere that reigns on an abandoned planet, with only a few dozen inhabitants left, plus a few natives and robots, is that of a lazy siesta. The developers of Studio Plane Toast say that they were inspired by the French Provence when creating Cigalo, and it looks like it.
Suge returns to Sigalo after six years of absence, of course, her friends have grown up, some of them have children. So, in addition to solving the riddles left by the corporation, the girl needs to find her own place in this small community again. To do this, she needs to communicate with the residents, complete their simple tasks, answer questions about her life in the Star City, and give advice. Very soon, Suge will become an indispensable part of the town of Estello, and the future of this small world will depend on her actions.
But let's not forget about the main task: exploring the abandoned production and research complexes of the corporation, looking for spare parts for her bus, which the girl uses to travel through the desert, and trying to find the Garance ship.
In fact, Caravan SandWitch is really a kind of metroidvania with almost no platforming part. Suge searches for parts to upgrade, installs a new device on his bus, and gains access to new parts of the ruins and rooms. And so on several times. First you need to make a scanner to find jammers, then a winch to break down doors, then a device for traveling on cables, then an upgrade to pick electronic locks, then a power cable. So, just like in any metroidvania, you will need to return to the same places many times, which will not be pleasant for everyone.
Although sometimes it is difficult to understand what to do next in Caravan SandWitch, it is not really very stressful. As we have already noted, there is no danger here, no one is rushing you, so you can explore the world slowly, admiring the scenery and driving through the desert to a very pleasant soundtrack.
Caravan SandWitch reminded me of a cross between Creatures of Ava and Beyond Good & Evil, but without the action, political overtones, and general gloom of the second half of BGE. It's a very nice calming world of a kind of cozy post-apocalypse. "Mad Max" but without the madness. A game about finding your sister, yourself, and your place in this world.