Carmen Sandiego Reboot: Everything We Know

“Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” Well, she’ll arrive on the screen in your living room or wherever else you play games from very soon. The best part? You no longer will be trying to catch the scarlet supervillain but will be her. Fingers crossed that Rockapella returns. Oh, and it’d be nice to learn some Geography while committing crimes, too. Anyway, all speculations aside, we’ve compiled all the facts for you in the Carmen Sandiego Reboot: Everything We Know article below.

What is Carmen Sandiego Reboot?

Carmen Sandiego Reboot is an upcoming single-player puzzle-adventure game. It’ll revive the scarlet supervillain from as many as 30 years ago on her globe-trotting adventures. More specifically, the reboot will focus on revamping the 1985 Carmen Sandiego video game series. It’s perfect timing after the Netflix Carmen Sandiego animated series. In fact, you may probably notice that the art styles aren’t all that different. So, are you ready to don Carmen’s red hat and play villain? Or, more rightly, vigilante tracking down a group called VILE? 

Story

By all means, Carmen Sandiego Reboot will have a story campaign. You’ll follow along structured missions that take you all around the world, hunting down the VILE. The world you’ll explore thrives on espionage, and it’ll be up to you to get to the bottom of the mysteries within. In the past, gamers have been treated to Carmen Sandiego games that task you with capturing the super thief. But now, you’ll, for the first time, be able to play as the super thief herself. The upcoming game’s Steam page seems to suggest that the story will feature other “detectives.” There’ll be rookie and seasoned operatives who have been invited to test their skills and capture VILE.

Gameplay

Like the films and ‘82 games, Carmen will have exciting tools at her disposal. She’ll have high-tech gadgets like a paraglider she can use to fly and a grappling hook she can use to close large distances. At the center of the gameplay is diving into espionage and uncovering the secrets of the VILE. Rather than commit crimes, you’ll be hunting VILE operations worldwide and bringing them to justice. Besides the main campaign, you can also play the classic mode, The Acme Files. Here are the key features you can expect in the final game.

Key Features

• Be Carmen Sandiego – Instead of catching Carmen, you’ll be playing her character. She’ll be the lead, plunging into espionage and hunting down VILE operatives. Thanks to her wit and experience, you’ll be set to experience a wild adventure, outsmarting the enemies you come by.
• Gear up – To aid you in your quest, you’ll have high-tech gadgets you unlock over time. Some tools you can expect are a paraglider that allows you to fly and a grappling hook that lets you swing from skyscraper to skyscraper. Moreover, you can look forward to night vision abilities and thermal imaging goggles. 
• Travel the globe – Like the films, you’ll be traveling worldwide. Among the places you can expect are Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Carmen Sandiego Reboot will be a globe-trotting adventure that features familiar landmarks and immersive environments. Many of the places you’ll visit will be iconic locations, which you’ll explore and discover hidden secrets.
• Solve capers – Capers are puzzles and mini-games that you can solve by collecting clues, deciphering codes, and outsmarting VILE operatives. They will test your detective's eye. However, they will be timed, pushing you to act fast. So, get ready to break into safes, hack systems, and master lockpicking, remembering that time is of the essence.
• Capture vile – VILE is the antagonist, and you’ll need to collect clues to uncover where they hide. Finding a VILE operative will go down the nitty gritty of their hair and eye color. Trimming down from a group of suspects, you’ll find VILE operatives worldwide and put out a warrant for their arrest. Winning will mean capturing VILE operatives and losing, letting them escape.

Development

Developer Gameloft, in partnership with HarperCollins Productions and Netflix, is gearing up to launch Carmen Sandiego Reboot. The upcoming game will revamp the original Carmen Sandiego video game series that launched in 1985.

Trailer

Carmen Sandiego Reboot’s official announcement trailer is out now on YouTube. You can easily mistake the trailer for the 2019 Carmen Sandiego Netflix animated series. The art styles are so similar and clearly a partnership with Netflix. While the trailer marks the first announcement of the game, it reveals quite a ton of the gameplay you can expect in the final game. You catch sneak peeks of the paraglider and grappling hook functionality. Environments look cartoony but vibrant, with immersive cities. 

There’s a high chance the visuals may be 2D, as Carmen’s character and environments seem to be isometric. You can also look forward to stealth gameplay as Carmen sneaks behind someone in a bustling street. She also appears to stalk potentially VILE operatives, pretending to read a newspaper. All along, you’ll have a helper in your ear guiding you. Here’s to hoping for the final game to meet all the expectations fans have: engaging gameplay, intriguing story, and perhaps some free Geography lessons. 

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Carmen Sandiego Reboot will launch in the first quarter of 2025. However, the first launch will only be on the Netflix mobile streaming application for iOS and Android platforms. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platform releases will come later in the second quarter of 2025. PC owners can expect the game on Steam, which you’re free to add to your wishlist to get a notification when it drops. We still don’t know whether there will be any editions for preorder. However, we’ll be sure to let you know, along with any information still under wraps. In the meantime, feel free to follow the official social handle here to keep track of new updates.

So, what’s your take? Will you be grabbing a copy of Carmen Sandiego Reboot when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.