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Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker turns tiny levels into giant puzzles

17 September 2026

Spin colourful puzzle box stages, hunt for Super Gems, dodge Wingo, and help Captain Toad and Toadette find treasure in a clever Nintendo adventure.

A shiny gem is sitting right there, almost close enough to grab, but Captain Toad cannot simply jump onto the ledge. That one missing jump changes everything. Suddenly I am spinning the whole level around, peeking behind walls and trying to work out whether a tiny tunnel connects to a hidden ladder. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker makes a small space feel like a giant mystery.

A hero who has to think

Captain Toad is not the fastest Nintendo hero. He carries a huge backpack, waddles about and cannot leap over every problem like Mario. That sounds like a disadvantage, but it is exactly what makes the game clever. Instead of bouncing straight towards the goal, you have to study each stage and find a safe route.

The levels look like little toy boxes floating in space. You can turn the camera to inspect them from different angles. A wall that blocks the view from one side might hide a doorway on the other. A platform that looks useless from above might actually be part of a path underneath. I like that moment when the pieces finally click and a confusing pile of blocks suddenly makes sense.

The main goal is usually to reach a Power Star. Getting there can involve switches, ladders, moving platforms and enemies guarding narrow paths. Captain Toad can pluck turnips from the ground and throw them, which is useful when a Goomba or another troublemaker refuses to move. Timing matters too. Even when you know the route, you still need to sneak past dangers without losing your chance.

Treasure makes every corner interesting

Reaching the star finishes a stage, but rushing straight to it can mean missing heaps of good stuff. Super Gems are tucked around the courses, sometimes in places that are obvious but tricky to reach and sometimes behind scenery that looks completely ordinary. Coins are scattered everywhere as well, rewarding anyone who pokes around rather than charging ahead.

This makes replaying a level feel worthwhile. On the first go I might concentrate on surviving. On the next go I can search every corner and try a route I ignored before. Some hidden prizes are visible early, which is almost cheeky because the game lets you see the reward while making the path hard to spot.

The stages keep changing their ideas before one puzzle style becomes boring. Nintendo describes courses featuring volcanoes, hazardous steam engines, haunted houses, towers and even Goomba waterparks. There are also courses inspired by Super Mario Odyssey. That variety gives the adventure a proper travelling feeling, even though each individual area is compact.

Spinning the view is part of the puzzle

Most games use the camera just to show where you are going. Here, moving the view feels like using a tool. Looking from the wrong angle can hide an enemy or make two separate platforms appear connected. Turn the scene and the solution might be sitting in plain sight.

That idea is especially fun when a stage has several floors. I can follow Captain Toad through a doorway, lose sight of him behind the scenery, then rotate the level and discover an entire lower section. It feels a bit like holding a detailed model in your hands and checking every side for a button.

The bright art helps important objects stand out without making every answer too easy. Gems sparkle, coins shine and Captain Toad’s headlamp gives him the look of a tiny explorer who is taking the job very seriously. Meanwhile, giant birds and silly enemies make sure the treasure hunt never feels too calm.

Toadette joins the hunt

The story involves the greedy bird Wingo stealing treasure, so Captain Toad heads off to reclaim it. As the adventure continues, Toadette also becomes playable. I reckon she fits the game perfectly because the pair look brave and cheerful even when they are facing traps much bigger than they are.

The Nintendo Switch version supports one or two players on one system. Nintendo says a second player can help by tossing turnips at enemies, using a pair of Joy Con controllers in TV mode or Tabletop mode. You can also play alone in Handheld mode.

That helper role sounds good for families because two people can focus on different jobs. One player can guide Captain Toad through the course while the other clears annoying enemies. It is not about racing against each other. It feels more like sharing ideas and rescuing each other when a puzzle becomes messy.

Small adventure, big brain workout

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was released for Nintendo Switch in 2018, but its puzzle box idea still feels fresh. It does not need an enormous open world to create adventure. One tiny course can contain a hidden gem, a dangerous enemy, a concealed tunnel and a route that only appears after you change your point of view.

I also like that the game can be exciting without being too intense. There are hazards and boss encounters, but the main challenge is paying attention. If something seems impossible, the answer is often to slow down, rotate the camera and notice what changed.

That makes Captain Toad a great hero for this kind of game. He cannot solve every problem with a massive jump. He has to explore carefully, use what he finds and keep waddling towards the treasure. When the Power Star finally spins above him, it feels earned because I did not just reach the end. I worked out how the whole tiny world fitted together.