Map Map - Off The Charts

Map Map (demo) — Summary

You play as a cartographer exploring a sequence of islands, drawing a paper map by exploring the environment.

Storyline and goals

• Play as a cartographer tasked with mapping a series of islands by hand on a paper map.
• Small, chill puzzle-adventure focused on locating things precisely: trees, piles of stones, ruins, treasure, and remnants of a raven civilisation.
• Main objectives are to mark exact positions on your paper map (pins, stickers, drawings) and uncover secrets like buried treasure and ruins.
• Optional side tasks and treasures add exploration depth.

Gameplay highlights

• Each island begins with a blank paper map and no on-screen cursor or UI showing your world position.
• Tools:
  • Pencil/crayon/eraser
  • Pin to mark objects
  • Stickers
  • Later unlockable drawing tools (highlighter, pen)
• Distance and measurement:
  • Distance unit is measured in steps: 5 steps = one grid square on the map.
  • You count steps by holding the mouse and moving.
  • Certain landmarks, when found, place a compass marker on your map and reveal cardinal directions in the world.
• Objectives and rewards:
  • The game grades your accuracy (distance error measured to the centimeter) and awards up to three stars.
  • In-world treasure maps can be found; these are incomplete and must be matched to the island map.
• Island design:
  • Islands grow larger and more complex over time, introducing rivers, cliffs, ruins, and forests.
  • Demo includes optional treasures and side tasks (for example, finding six raven statues).

Key strategies and tips (practical checklist)

• Start by mentally and visually tracing the island’s outline—distinctive bays, protrusions, and coast shapes are crucial anchors.
• Use camera edges and line up your view to determine relative left/right and distance from coastlines.
• Count steps carefully: 5 steps = one map grid square is the basic measuring unit.
• Cross-reference multiple observations: draw sight-lines from different vantage points and use their intersections for precision.
• Climb to high ground to see distant landmarks and coastline shapes, which help align map features.
• Find and mark compass landmarks early to orient your map to real-world north/south/east/west.
• For diagonal distances, use right-angle geometry: measure component legs or apply the Pythagorean relation to compute the hypotenuse.
• Use pen/marker tools to track confirmed positions (start points, discovered features) and avoid getting lost.
• Beware “false friends”: distant objects can look like your target but be unrelated natural formations.
• Be mindful that jumping or clambering can break step-count precision—plan routes to minimize measurement disruption.
• Use a finger on-screen or ad-hoc measuring to transfer distances between the world and paper map if needed.

Notable moments demonstrated

• Pinning a tree with a 0.2-step error and earning three stars.
• Learning to measure using the 5-step grid squares and counting steps to mark a pile of stones and a picnic spot.
• Finding ruins and using coastline, rivers, and high ground to draw cross-reference lines.
• Using a found (incomplete or differently oriented) treasure map to locate buried treasure and earn a fun reward (e.g., a highlighter or new drawing tool).
• Using finger-measurement and a simple hypotenuse calculation to locate a southeast corner marker in larger ruins.
• Optional objectives—multiple buried treasures and raven statues—providing added exploration depth.

Release and availability notes

• The video/demo covers a free build available now (demo).
• The full game has no firm release date in the subtitles; the author expects a fall release.
• Recommendation: wishlist the game on Steam to support the small team.

Sources and people featured

• Presenter: Many A True Nerd (referred to as “John” / “Jonas” in the subtitles)
• In-game characters referenced: Billy and Milo