Cosy Wasteland: Caravan SandWitch

Explore a post-apocalyptic frontier in this laid-back open-world adventure.

‣ Caravan SandWitch
From: Studio Plane Toast, Dear Villagers
Platforms: PC
Release: September 2024
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site

A cosy post-apocalypse where you want to see what’s behind the next hill.

If you glanced twice at this game’s title, wondering if it’s spelled correctly, yes it is. Caravan SandWitch will feature sand-witches (and sandwiches). But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s the end of the world, yet a much more pleasant version than your usual desolate wasteland. 

The planet Cigalo was abandoned after a major industrial disaster,  but it’s still home to a patchwork of small villages, lone settlers, and the frog-like original inhabitants, holding onto a fading frontier. Our hero, Suage (pronounced ‘Sage’), left the planet some time ago, then received a distress signal from her long-lost sister. One trip home later, she’s ready to explore this cosy hopeful post-apocalypse, using a handy yellow truck she borrows from a local.

“Hopeful post-apocalypse” is how the developers describe Caravan SandWitch, a narrative-driven exploration adventure. You drive, run, and climb across a vast semi-desert world with patches of green woodlands and blue lakes.

Your yellow van can handle the terrain in this open world, helping you reach each side of the map. But some areas will be inaccessible until you unlock upgrades, like a harpoon on your van to pull off doors and a pulley for Suage to zip across cables. In the demo, you eventually unlock a van radar that helps you locate hidden objects, such as the components to upgrade your equipment (and, apparently, collectible sandwiches).

Yet, this isn’t a management or survival game. You don’t build workstations or tools, cook food, fix your van, or grind for progress. Caravan SandWitch is narrative-driven, and you unlock most of your progress by completing quests for Cigalo’s inhabitants. In the demo, you reconnect with your hometown friends, at one point collecting dishes from different characters for a ‘welcome home’ party. 

The quests encourage you to get to know the planet’s colourful characters and provide guidance on new areas to explore. They unlock upgrades and expand the story. It’s not clear how elaborate the narrative system and relationship dynamics will be. But these are not overwhelming, because the primary goal is exploration.

Caravan SandWitch’s developers got the idea while on a hike: a game about exploring a desert world in a van. It creates a meditative vibe, with an amazing soundtrack and beautiful scenery in bold and pastel colours. You can’t die and there are no penalties. Just travel, follow the trail of your lost sister, and uncover the mystery behind the Sand Witches.

Hence why the developers call this a hopeful post-apocalypse. Cigalo was once home to a major industrial operation, which abandoned the place after a massive accident. Consequently, the world is full of modern ruins, half-buried by time and the desert. It would create an eerie atmosphere, and there are times when you can sense the planet’s abandoned past. 

📽 Demo Snapshot: Let’s go get that jammer

But the mix of art, presentation, and soundtrack make things warm and pleasant. Ultimately, Suage and most of the characters never experienced the disaster. What’s left has always been their home, and through their eyes, it’s not a threatening or hopeless place. This vibe really resonates throughout Caravan SandWitch, a truly cosy post-apocalypse where you want to hit the dusty trails and see what’s behind the next hill.

Of course, that’s exactly where the demo ends! Hopefully, the full game is just around the corner!

Caravan SandWitch launches during September 2024 on Steam.

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Explore The Game with YouTube Chapters:

• 📽 00:48 Rose's Retreat

• 📽 03:43 Talking to farm animals

• 📽 04:14 Heading to town

• 📽 05:11 We need components

• 📽 08:47 Party plans

• 📽 10:56 Oliver and Apricot

• 📽 12:14 Frog people?

• 📽 14:42 An unhappy friend

• 📽 17:51 Welcome home!

• 📽 24:40 Lets find components

• 📽 25:55 Coastal doors

• 📽 26:46 An old subway?

• 📽 29:03 Approaching the tower

• 📽 31:25 No more jamming

• 📽 34:33 Exploring a little

• 📽 35:44 Take a break

• 📽 37:10 Back to town

• 📽 40:20 Antenna tutorial

• 📽 46:15 Go find your sister

• 📽 47:25 Closing trailer

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