Map Map - A Game About Maps Preview | Reveal Your Path
The art of the map is something that was once cherished in the era of exploration. These powerful tools became the basis of where someone would go from one place to another. The more detailed a map was, the more useful it was to the person navigating the world. In videogames, players are often given maps where everything is laid out - even a Fog of War hiding the important landmarks, waiting to be revealed. However, Map Map - A Game About Maps allows players to embark on a journey where the creation of maps is its own adventure.
As the title implies, this game is all about making maps. You play as a young cartographer who island hops across the ocean, gradually filling out each island’s map. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the simplicity of the game. I wasn’t sure what to focus on, how in-depth I should maneuver, or where to start. Luckily, the game’s prompts at the start gradually ease you in. Once I allowed myself to focus on the zen low-stakes adventure, I felt much more at ease.
As you start on each island, you’re given an initial point of interest on the map. This becomes your focal point for the rest of your exploration within the area. You’re eventually tasked with identifying where various locations are on your map. My thinker hat immediately went on and I was excited to see how exactly I could identify a precise location for where the relevant locations were on the map. I started counting my steps, comparing where I was to the coastline, and even used the legend on the map to convert distance with steps. After a few locations, I began to feel much more comfortable with exactly what I needed to do and how I can do it in future islands. The visual effect was also very satisfying whenever I plopped a location onto my map - a literal map marker would appear and identify how close/far I was to the actual spot. Even better, I was not penalized for the accuracy, at least not in any significant way that I noticed within the demo. I even got an item right at the end of the demo that my mathematician's brain was VERY excited to get (and even more excited to show my geometry students this fall).
What really elevated my enjoyment was the sheer number of islands I was able to explore within the demo. I thought I would simply see one or two, but I ended up seeing five different islands throughout the one hour experience. Each island gradually builds upon themselves with complexity and challenges. Towards the later islands, there emerged a mystery with remnants of an ancient civilization scattered about. I’m curious how the cartography meshes with the ancient civilization, but I know I’m just dipping my toe in the mysteries of this game.
Map Map - A Game About Maps by Pipapo Games really captivated me much more than I had expected. The low-stakes exploration of various islands to create maps as you explore was not something I thought I needed. However, with that said, I am very intrigued to see how the final game turns out.
Be sure to Wishlist Map Map - A Game About Maps on Steam.