Cozy exploration just got a whole new meaning with a lot more wholesome.
It looks like more new developers are popping up and making their mark on the world in record time, but those developers seem to be setting new release standards. One of these developers is Plane Toast.
This French developer was only founded in 2021, but they wanted to make a good impact while shaking things up with their first release, Caravan SandWitch, on 12 September. So, buckle up and have some metaphorical ‘toast’. You’re in for the warmest inner feelings ever and a few whacky twists.
The world of Caravan SandWitch is far from what you’d expect, but in this case, it starts with a distress signal from Garance. You’ll be taking on the role of Sauge, a space pilot with a lengthy backstory and roots all over the galaxy, but her main roots are still in Cigalo.
While she initially moved to the Space City for a job, the distress signal is what brought her back and where she reconnects with her old village. However, Cigalo is in much more trouble than just a distress signal, and most of the problems are caused by the consortium.
All the pleasantries aside, Caravan SandWitch isn’t your typical cozy game; it’s more atmospheric but comes with a great story. The goal is still to find Garance, though you’ll also need to help the people you come across and make Cigalo a slightly better place to live.
So, aside from the main goal, there’s also the secondary goal of destroying signal jammers left behind by the consortium. Unfortunately, the story goes much deeper, and it will be a little bumpy, literally. Diving a little deeper, Caravan SandWitch can be classified as open-world, even though it’s a relatively small world. Although the world might be small, it doesn’t mean you can freely explore everywhere.
You’ll only have a van to drive around with first, and you’ll need to unlock more tools as you progress through the story. Your tool collection starts pretty small with an ‘un-jammer’ that allows you to fry signal jammers, and it grows quite quickly into several for both the van and Sauge.
This is all fine, and the world does, in a way, become bigger as you unlock more tools, but getting those tools is where life Caravan SandWitch takes a fun turn. You’ll need components, and you’ll need a lot of them for each new tool.
Now, components range from common to exceptional in rarity, but as you’d expect, the rarer components are easy to find in the wild. To make matters a little more hairy, this is where those tools come in, as you’ll need them to explore certain areas further or open certain doors.
On the other hand, getting a good chunk of the components you’d need in the world is one way of getting them, and there is another. Naturally, Caravan SandWitch would be boring without quests, but these can be tracked on Toaster.
That’s right, Toaster, their odd form of social media and a fun reference to the developer. It looks like a simple messenger app, but it’s also public, so you’ll likely get a few extra responses from other villagers while progressing through quests.
The big thing about the quests and the people you meet is that they all share the common goal of just wanting to make life a bit more bearable on Cigalo. Some are building new lives in the village, while others, like the Nomads, are constantly moving and exploring.
You can probably see where this is going and how it somehow ties into life outside of gaming, too; we’re all just trying to make things work. Granted, the people in Caravan SandWitch share a common enemy in the consortium whose only interest is to exploit any resource they can find.
One other thing to keep an eye out for in Caravan SandWitch is the different types of quests you’ll get. Most of your quests will be more focused on being time-limited because it takes time to make the tools once you get them started.
This is a really nice touch where you’ll have to decide between rushing progress or learning more about the people through their quests. On the other hand, you’ll also have long-term quests that will give you deeper insight into Sauge’s life. There’s always something to do, but completing the quests for the component rewards is recommended.
Now, things take an odd turn because while this is technically an open-world explorer, the cozy side of it means that there’s no combat. At the same time, there’s no fall damage either… Before you jump on the soap box to connect, open-world explorers are great because they’re a great change of pace from the usual combat scenarios.
Going out and discovering a brilliant story is enough to keep anybody interested. Even the fact that there aren’t any major dialogue choices is a nice change, too, except at the end, but we won’t spoil anything. Simply running through the story is an option, too, but you’ll soon discover gaps. Luckily, those inconsistencies can be filled through the extra pieces of lore you’ll find in the world and through the quests.
However, the plot thickens even more when you eventually meet a ‘SandWitch’. Unfortunately, spoilers are still frowned upon, but let’s just say they are the antagonist initially. This changes eventually when a certain old lady tags along for a final ride in the van.
You’d think it can’t get any more peaceful and relaxed between the story and the gameplay, but you’d need the world design to match. It seems the developer wanted to go above and beyond with pastel colors and a semi-2D design, and it works so well to build a brilliant atmosphere that drives everything forward. The only major flaw with Caravan SandWitch is using the speed boost in the van, which can make it seem a little clunky. However, this also fits perfectly since you’re not driving on smooth roads.
Where Caravan SandWitch really shines is with its music. Usually, the voice acting or sound effects would build a great aesthetic to drive a nice ambiance, but the music pulls it all together in this case. Even though there isn’t any voice acting, you won’t miss it, given how relaxed everything is. It eventually becomes a case of you coming for the gameplay, but you’ll likely stay for the fantastic music.
Overall, Caravan SandWitch is the cozy twist in gaming we all need occasionally. Anybody who enjoys a great story and some good music will absolutely adore this gem simply due to how much charm everything oozes. However, you’ll need to prepare beforehand for what might be a genuinely touching story that will hit a little too close to home.
