Dracamar is a bright and cartoonish platformer that instantly managed to wake up that specific feeling of sitting in front of a heavy tube TV with a tangled controller. It reminded us of those worry-free days of the past and that old-school magic where all we wanted to do was simply chill with a game.
Dracamar tries—and somewhat successfully manages—to pull it off with a sunny and low-stress adventure that leans heavily into its Catalan roots. It basically feels like the game wants to hand you a warm drink and tell you everything is fine. But is that really the case, especially in the long run?
Human values and community
You’ll be able to feel this nostalgic spirit of days gone by by taking part in a very straightforward collectathon. For fifteen levels, we mostly ran around floating islands, grabbed shiny Moki-balls, and unlocked bridges to the next area. There’s nothing complex here, and yet everything is just as it should be. The graphics and the gameplay mechanics are so well executed that you’re perfectly happy to simply swap between three kids and hunt down trapped creatures called Okis.
Speaking of Okis, the story is a bit on the nose, and we can’t remember how many times we rolled our eyes when we heard a play on words like “okis mokis fokis wokis” and other nonsense. But hey, our nephews giggled all the time, so we’re not raining too hard on that parade. Dracamar is, after all, a game best suited for a younger audience.
The combat is also pretty endearing. Understandably, you won’t be killing anything—just smack and trash the enemies. A little bit is enough to knock the bad vibes out of them. Once they calm down, you can literally walk up and pet them. Wish that worked in real life, eh?
Mechanically, you are just doing a lot of bouncy running and floating across gaps. There’s rarely a reason to get frustrated. All you have to do is mash that attack button, and this tactic will get you through all seven bosses.
This is not the game for you if you’re looking for intense, tight platforming. But for just wandering around, taking in the sights, and having some relaxed fun—well, for that, it does the job just fine.
Before playing the game, we were expecting a solid hit of nostalgia, and that’s exactly what we got. Well recommended for waking up that inner child in you—or for simply treating your kids to a nice afternoon of adventure.
Dracamar is made by Petoons Studio, 3Cat and published by Petoons Studio. The game also has a great demo!
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