If you’re on the market for a relatively stress-free adventure with a focus on exploration — and a surprisingly engaging story — then Caravan SandWitch may be the game for you. Set on a mostly deserted planet, protagonist Sauge returns to the place she once called home in order to track down her older sister, who’s been presumed dead for six whole years. However, having been pinged by an emergency message just days before her journey begins, Sauge simply can’t ignore her newfound hope.
The plot unfolds as you traverse an open world full of old roads, a lot of sand, and the ruins of a once bustling, planet-poisoning civilisation. Environmentalism is at the heart of the title’s narrative, although the developer’s well-meaning messages never cloud the game’s desire to tell a character-based story. It’s an intriguing tale, and you’ll find yourself pushing for emotional closure on Sauge’s behalf.
You won’t be exploring the entire map on foot, though. Sauge is gifted the world’s last working vehicle — a pleasingly square van — right near the beginning of the game, and so much of your time with Caravan SandWitch will be spent bumbling along in this satisfyingly bumpy ride.
Progress is gated by van upgrades, as main story objectives require the use of tools like an environmental scanner, or a grappling hook — both of which are attached to your automobile. They’re unlocked via the gathering of old machine components, which can be found either through exploration, or by completing character-driven side quests. It’s actually a tightly designed experience, as you’ll often revisit certain ruins and find that your latest gadget opens up a whole new area, or additional secrets.
The adventure lasts around six or seven hours, and for the most part, it’s enjoyably breezy. However, proceedings do feel a little padded at specific points, with an emphasis on travelling back and forth between key locations. What’s more, a total lack of meaningful rewards — outside of character development — puts a dampener on some rather time-consuming side quests.
Caravan SandWitch is just a really pleasant video game. It can be a bit rough around the edges in terms of animations and technical performance, but its story intrigues, and its atmospheric brand of exploration is largely a delight.
