HarperCollins Productions and Gameloft (Disney Dreamlight Valley) announced a new Carmen Sandiego game launching in 2025.
Next year also marks the series’ 40th anniversary with the original launch of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? in 1985 on the Apple II PC. That makes Carmen Sandiego one of the longest-running video game series of all time, wow!
In the original edutainment game, TV series, and comics, Carmen was a suave villain of an international criminal organization known as V.I.L.E., and it was the player’s job to track her down (while learning about geography).
However, the semi-recent animated series reboot on Netflix from 2019 tells a fun new story that turns Carmen into a villain-raised heroine and protagonist who works against VILE.
The new game is smartly inspired by the reboot. Players will don Carmen’s signature red coat and hat to play as the anti-thief for the first time. True to the series, players will visit locations all over the globe, picking up clues and solving puzzles to thwart VILE.
“The character of Carmen Sandiego has been beloved by generations, and for many, it was an introduction to countries around the world,” said Caroline Fraser, Head of HarperCollings Productions. “Now for the first time, players get to be Carmen – sneaking into locations, gathering clues, and pulling off heists, – as they experience on the ground immersive real-world locations. Carmen Sandiego’s overarching theme – to experience and celebrate all cultures – has never been more important and more fun.”
Carmen Sandiego (the game) will be a single player, one-time premium purchase, without microtransactions or subscriptions. The game will launch first on the Netflix mobile app (iOS and Android). It’s launching a bit later on PC (Steam), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox by Q1 2025. It’s rated E for Everyone.
