Looking for a relaxing, violence-free adventure? Caravan Sandwich might be your cup of tea.
This open-world exploration game takes you on a quest to a desert planet in search of your missing sister.
In this article, we’ll be giving a full review of the game and ranking it from decaf to fully caffeinated.
Prefer to watch the video version? Check it out here
Story
Caravan Sandwitch has the makings of a great story.
You head back to your home planet after receiving a mysterious ping from your sister’s spaceship…that disappeared years ago along with your sister. Arriving back home is not the happy reunion you thought it would be though, with the planet having been abandoned by the humans exploiting the planet after a mysterious and permanent storm started.
With the planet left in ruins, a mysterious being has also set up signal jammers around the planet, restricting contact and making it impossible for the locals to work or communicate. You’ll explore the planet taking down signal jammers, and learning more about the mysterious Sandwitches that roam the area, while you try to find out what happened to your sister.
This game has a really promising storyline, and the concept of the game is great. The story draws you in, but the dialogue kind of lets it down in some ways, not really giving a whole lot of depth to the story and at times feeling like it glosses over important information or leaves details out that are kind of important.
In such an expansive and interesting world, there really is a lot of potential to integrate more of the lore of the world into the environment itself, and the overarching story is actually really interesting.
That being said, I absolutely loved the world and the concepts of the game.
So, for story, I’m rating Caravan Sandwitch as Buzzed.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay of Caravan Sandwitch is quite simply, incredible. The main gameplay is quest based, seeing you complete main tasks as well as side quests, to progress the story. You’ll travel across the desert in your trusty Caravan, exploring ruins and a pretty stunning natural landscape.
A big chunk of the game is dedicated to exploring ruins and salvaging parts, with you needing to collect different parts to be able to upgrade your van. Some quests will see you need to collect certain things, and the main quest will see you need to explore the whole landscape and disable or turn on different pieces of equipment. The ruins themselves are a great challenge, with a cool puzzle element that sees you need to work out how to access different areas to be able to get the best components, and I really enjoyed this part of the game.
As you progress you can upgrade your van with different tools, allowing you to scan the area for different components, adding a grab tool, and giving you hacking abilities too, which allow you to access different parts of the map.
One interesting part of the game is that there’s no fall damage or car damage, which actually adds a lot of fun as you can pretty much yeet your van off wherever you like, and jumping down from high places can definitely save a lot of time.
This is definitely a game that feels like a cozy looting game, as there’s no real enemies or danger in the game, and the added meditation style points really let you appreciate the game.
I did find that parts of the game really made me motion sick, even with the motion sickness filter on, which did make it hard to play the game for longer than an hour or so at a time. That being said, the gameplay really draws you back, and made me want to push through to keep playing
This is a game that feels balanced, has an addictive quality, and is one full of great areas to explore.
So, for gameplay, I’m rating Caravan Sandwitch as Fully Caffeinated.
DESIGN
Caravan Sandwitch has a fun colourful design, that feels like it really fits in the setting of the game.
The use of colour is really interesting, and brings a lot of dimension to the game, and differentiates between the ruin areas and the areas full of life on the planet.
The soundtrack is interesting and sets the perfect landscape for the game, and the sound effects add that extra layer, bringing the game to life and giving vital details to things happening in the game.
The game feels cohesive and well designed, bringing a cozy sci-fi feel to the gameplay that is really interesting
So, for design, I’m rating Caravan Sandwitch as Fully Caffeinated.
ORIGINALITY
Caravan Sandwitch is a game that can be compared to many other games, but only in really specific instances.
The driving side could be compared to GTA, with the conveniently placed jumps definitely nod to some amazing racing games. The looting is not an unfamiliar mechanic, but the different components you collect make it interesting and just different enough to feel unique.
It’s definitely one of those games that feels familiar and comfortable to play, there’s no mechanics in there that feel really different to other games, but the game doesn’t specifically feel like anything else.
The story is interesting a different to any other games in this genre, giving us a cool and intriguing mystery to solve and overall the game just feels like it has it’s own seat at the table
So, for originality, I’m rating Caravan Sandwitch as Buzzed.
THE FINAL BREW
If you’re looking for a cozy looter adventure without the violence, Caravan Sandwich is definitely worth a try. With its unique blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and character development, it offers a refreshing gaming experience. While the game’s story and pacing could be improved, its strong gameplay and visuals make it a worthwhile addition to any indie game lover’s collection.
We’ve ground the beans, weighed and pressed the grinds, and brewed this game down. Now it’s time for a taste test… Caravan Sandwitch is Buzzed!
Caravan Sandwitch is available on Steam now. You can check it out here.
Until next time, stay caffeinated!
