Map Map – A Game About Maps Review (PC)

Map Map – A Game About Maps isn’t a game that you need a formal understanding of in order to enjoy, nor is it one that requires you to channel your Christopher Columbus mentality to fulfill its cartography tasks, for that matter. On the contrary, it presents itself as an easy-going excursion in which an eagle-eyed explorer and fledgling cartographer—you—can take a once in a lifetime opportunity to embark on a noble quest for treasure and unchartered wealth. With a sextant, a hand-drawn map, and a telescope, as well as a lot of missing landmarks and hidden paths, it falls to you to launch a whirlwind expedition across an archipelago of islands. The goal, however, is a little simpler: fill out various maps with intricate details, and charter them with the correct information.

Alone, you find yourself at the foot of a shoreline, with a rough sketch of an island in your hand, and a small pocket of tools to help you navigate the world. As you venture forth and chalk pinpoints on your map, you earn additional opportunities to complete challenges for your traveling companions, as well as to unlock new tools to help you develop your cartography skills. And at the heart of all of this is a charming journey—an expedition that, frankly, doesn’t ask all that much of you. But that’s a good thing here, believe it or not.

At its core, Map Map is all about chronicling your adventures, as well as finessing the sextant to broaden your compass. As you step foot onto each shoreline, you find yourself with a simple yet satisfying task: to document your journey, and to add landmarks to your map. As you carve deeper into each island, you earn the ability to enhance your knowledge and, with the aid of various devices and navigational tools, locate more treasures to push you closer towards your goal. As I said, simple, yet surprisingly effective, given that it doesn’t require you to think too deeply into the situation.

Map Map is just as much about getting lost as it is about finding your way in the world. And for the most part, it doesn’t matter if you do lose sight of the trail, as the game often has something to push you in the right direction, whether it’s a side quest for a friend, or a cluster of ruins that conveniently appear to fill out the missing spots on your map. With that, you don’t have a taxing game here. Rather, you have a relaxing adventure that, on one hand, allows you to explore at your own pace, and then on another, to experience the world as a cartographer in training.

It goes without saying at this point, but Map Map is, above all else, a laid-back experience that caters to the simple pleasures and the frequent milestones. As you don’t have any time constraints or major challenges to overcome, you can more or less enjoy the journey at your own leisure. Simply put, you explore one island, collect its data for your map, and then scoot over to the next to, well, do it all over again. Treasure looms on the horizon, and it falls to you to guide your team to the next anchor point.

With a vibrant aesthetic and a ton of charming visual elements, to boot, it doesn’t take much to fall in love with the archipelago and its vast wonders. Moreover, as it gives you a solid variety of locations to explore, it feels easy enough to get lost in your work. There are hidden ruins to unearth, beaten paths to locate, and a surprising amount of little details to document. To add, Map Map also hands you a sizable selection of tools to use, too. For example, you have a sextant that you can use to trace your steps; a telescope that you can equip to detect faraway landmarks; and a simple compass to point you in the right direction.

Thankfully, there is a satisfying experience here. As the game makes a habit of rewarding your curiosity and fine observation skills, you always have a little something to look forward to when you’re not out scouring for that next all-important landmark. With a host of characters to befriend, a handful of logical puzzles to solve, and just enough tools to keep you busy for the long haul, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll exhaust your cartography wisdom in a short period of time. And that’s a great thing here, too, as it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

While it isn’t the most daring expedition in the world, Map Map does come clean with a lot of provoking questions and navigational curveballs. Given that it doesn’t tell you where to travel, it is likely that you will spend a fair amount of time simply scraping the tip of the shoreline in search of a familiar landmark. But, to be honest, that’s all part of the fun here. It gets the cogs in your head turning, though, never to the point where you feel like you need to take a break from it all.

With all of the above out in the open, I can safely say that Map Map is a good little indie. It’s still a niche game, as is it one that might not quite appeal to the broader demographic. That said, it is evidently cozy, and it is a pleasant experience that I’d happily take a second time if and when the mood strikes. Although rather short, I can definitely imagine myself donning the sextant for another stint. That says it all, really.

Verdict

Thanks to its vibrant atmosphere and its intuitive cartographic design, Map Map – A Game About Maps is as equally cozy as it is charming, and not to mention a lot of fun to simply explore at your own leisure. With a treasure trove of landmarks to document and a good portion of challenges to tackle, it has that special spot on the map. Sure, it’s a little slow, and it might not appeal to everyone in the world. But, for those who enjoy chronicling their expeditions and fleshing out intricate details on their journals, this particular book should make for a great opportunity to wax some familiar habits.