Caravan SandWitch Review

In a world filled with cancelled shooters, overpriced consoles and predatory microtransactions, Caravan SandWitch is the breath of fresh air that we all need right now. The game is simple in scope but its sense of exploration, peaceful setting and non-violent gameplay kept me hooked right up until the end.

While Caravan SandWitch might look like a van life game, it really isn’t. Set on the planet of Cigalo, you play as Sauge who returns home to Estello Village after receiving a distress message from her sister who has been missing for some time already. Sauge is no stranger to the planet and the people who live there. However, a lot has changed since she left the village to work on the space station.

As a result, much of the time spent in Caravan SandWitch goes between exploring the land, catching up with the people Sauge grew up with and of course, performing tasks for them. Tasks are given by a range of characters including frog people who call the planet home. There are also some weird robots who have full human-like intelligence.

Within the first few hours of Caravan SandWitch, the game’s sci-fi setting makes itself quite clear. However, at the same time, the planet of Cigalo is sort of a wasteland now. Most of the population has moved to space or safer areas due to a never-ending series of hurricanes and ongoing environmental downturns. This large storm is seen throughout the game and makes for quite a breath-taking landmark in the distance. How it appeared is a mystery and something that unfolds during the game.

The SandWitch part of the game is also a mystery that expands throughout the story. While Caravan SandWitch is only about 10 hours long, there’s actually quite a lot to discover from a lore perspective. The game successfully sets up a wonderful story with some great characters to meet along the way. Each one of them felt fleshed out and part of this community.

Most of the tasks I completed in Caravan SandWitch revolved around helping the people, frogs and robots I met. These quests are tied into the story and expand the overarching plot in some way or another. Be it figuring out where the water went or tracking down missing creatures who have left their cave to explore the land above.

While I was doing all this, the game’s main plot revolved around turning off signal jammers scattered across the map. These jammers are hidden in different areas and often require a bit of puzzle-solving and parkour to reach. These jammers essentially uncover even more about the storm.

Sauge has her caravan which is a crucial part of Caravan SandWitch. The van is equipped with different tools which are unlocked throughout the game. The scanner can scan areas and detect items, doors, ladders and switches. Later on, I then obtained a hacking tool which could hack into locked doors. There’s also a grapple which I could launch into certain items to pull them out of the ground and even pull open container doors.

Sauge can also explore by foot which is often the best way to get into an area. Often I had to open up a door using the van and then enter the building by foot. Climbing up to higher areas is also incredibly fun and exploring all the little nooks and crannies as Sauge truly added to the experience.

I won’t say Caravan SandWitch has the most detailed and in-depth mechanics behind the world but that’s okay. Driving around, pulling up buried treasure, hacking terminals and venturing across all the points of interest is really what made this experience so joyful.

The world itself has been carefully crafted with landmarks scattered all over the place. These landmarks always called out to me. So much so that I spent most of my time in Caravan SandWitch getting distracted by the world. Again, most of these areas had a component to collect or sandwich to pick up but it was “just” enough to satisfy that discovery.

The game does force you to backtrack quite a lot. The tools you get are unlocked as you progress through the game so I found myself having to return to the same areas often to interact with objects which were previously inaccessible. While it could have been annoying, I felt like Caravan SandWitch’s world was just the perfect size to eliminate the monotonous backtracking.

The game’s quest design and “collection” system isn’t overwhelming either. With a few flowers to grab, snacks to pick up and plushies to hunt down, there’s no stress of missing one thanks to the condensed map.

Few games get this right. Fewer games can deliver a world that keeps you going for hours and hours. That real excitement of seeing a structure in the distance and missioning towards it while forgetting what you were doing in the first place, made this a wonderful experience.

Caravan SandWitch also looks beautiful. The cel-shaded engine brings the world to life. Driving around across the land also told a story. Every fallen building and every abandoned robot ship added to the game’s post-apocalyptic setting. Sauge also has a lot to say about the world around her. There’s often a text prompt where she would chime in on some memory about the location or add a sentimental throwback about her time there.

In the end, Caravan SandWitch was a pleasant surprise. The game threw me into this world and I immediately felt its warmth. There’s no violence, death or any real action here. Just you, the community, your van and the map. It combines into an unforgettable trip and something I didn’t think I needed.

Caravan SandWitch launches on 12 September for PS5, Switch and PC. There is a demo available on Steam. This review is based on a code sent to us by Dear Villagers.You can find out more about the game on the official website here.