Carto Critic Reviews

Carto’s creativity is constantly on display in ways that surprised and delighted me essentially at every turn. It’s a tightly packed shot of brilliance that manages the balancing act of spending just the right amount of time in an area and on an idea. I was left satisfied but still wanting more at the end of the adventure. The blend of soothing puzzle gameplay and optimistic story makes Carto both a top-shelf Switch indie and a welcome respite for this year.

Carto is a feel-good kind of game. Most of the puzzles feel clever, and the brisk pace means that the concept never lingers for too long. The story is very good with a cast of friendly characters and nary a conflict. It's the kind of game that you want to play at least once and feel good about once you reach the end credits.

It’s hard to imagine someone who would play Carto and have a bad time. It’s that committed to low-stress, just-engaging-enough fun and a world you’ll like traipsing about for a couple of hours. It doesn’t transcend to something that will be many players’ all-time favorite, but few games do. As it is, maybe you want a game that restores just a bit of your faith in community. That bolsters your hope that things will work out. That makes you feel like you are going to multiple different places that are not your home. Carto is great for that.

Carto is a nice, very clever puzzle-game which offers brand new mechanics to change the world by twisting map pieces. Thanks to beautiful landscapes and very well thought enigmas, Sunhead's game only suffers from a lack of clues, which might drive the most impatient players crazy.

It’s a well-crafted children’s book come to life with some puzzles that will absolutely leave you stumped and trying new things. I was happy to see a chapter select option upon the games completion as well as the reveal of hidden collectibles I can’t wait to go back and find. I would have liked if some of the environments had a little more going on in regards to the aesthetic detail, but I also acknowledge their design better reflects the nature of a map as is its intention. Carto is the kind of game you love to play on a quiet rainy day and I’m excited to play it over and over again.

Gamers looking for a fresh take on puzzle solving adventures will absolutely find it with the map manipulation in Carto.

Carto is a unique experience that perhaps doesn’t make the most of its central puzzling mechanic. The puzzle-solving itself is fun, but the story ends up quite forgettable. If you’re after a short experience to keep you busy for an afternoon, then Carto is for you - just don’t expect to be blown away.

Carto's main concept is compelling, but it runs out of steam in the mid-game and succumbs to repetition far too swiftly. It's nonetheless a beautifully-drawn title that's often a pleasure to play, but when it's tedious, it's really tedious. It's arguably the perfect title to play with kids and novices who are likely to be more forgiving of Carto's many shortcomings, but everyone else should approach with a little more caution.