I’ve always felt like there are two types of cozy games. On the one hand, you have the genuinely adorable ones like Lil Gator Game or A Short Hike, where cute characters do fun things in a stress-free world; on the other, games like Bear and Breakfast, where you play out very specific jobs or tasks in a way that’s clearly meant to be fun, but that, to me, has always felt a little too forced.
Map Map – A Game About Maps very definitely falls in that latter camp. It’s a game about cartography – as you hopefully guessed from the name – that dresses itself up in all the usual cozy accoutrements and that is always trying to remind you of how much fun you’re having, even if you’re not.
The weirdest thing about Map Map, as far as I’m concerned, is how incredibly demanding it is. Your character is dropped on an island and forced to map out specific items like flowers and rocks, but you’re given very little clue as to where those items are, forcing you to scour every inch of the island for random things. Unfortunately, the islands aren’t all that interesting, so you’re basically walking very slowly everywhere you go, hoping you’ll figure out the specific item the game wants you to find.
What’s more, even after you’ve found them, you’re graded on how precisely you can pinpoint those items. And this is where Map Map really gets weirdly demanding: you can add a point on your map that’s literally a foot or two away from where the actual item is – and you’re doing it with nearly zero point of reference, especially when you first reach an island – and the game will refuse to give you three stars for your effort.
It would be nice if the game made up for that with an interesting story or fun characters, but Map Map doesn’t have much of that. You’re searching for a treasure, and you’re being helped by a bunch of kids who really, really like cartography. Points for sticking to the theme, I guess?
But if you don’t like cartography, then you’ll quickly find there’s not much in Map Map for you. It’s a game for fans of people who like walking slowly and, of course, maps. I can’t say that’s me, but maybe it’s for someone?
Pipapo Games provided us with a Map Map – A Game About Maps PC code for review purposes.
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