You guide Captain Toad through small box-shaped levels, and since he cannot jump, you rotate the camera with the right stick to spot hidden paths, enemies, and treasure around every corner. Each stage is a short, self-contained puzzle about finding the right route rather than reflexes. It is calm and bite-sized, good for short sessions, though the fixed lack of jumping might frustrate anyone hoping for typical platforming.
Gameplay video
More Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker gameplay on YouTube →Ready to play Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker?
Grab a physical or digital copy from Amazon — prices and availability update live.
This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Screenshots & review notes
Overall
This tiny gem doesn't get talked about enough, delivering some of the most satisfying puzzle-box level design in any Nintendo game.
Moment to moment
Since Toad can't jump, every stage becomes a spatial puzzle solved by rotating the camera, and that constraint makes the design remarkably clever.
Art and atmosphere
Each diorama level is dense with detail and charm, packed into stages you could frame like little dollhouses.
Worth your time?
It's short but every level is worth savoring, making it ideal for puzzle fans or anyone wanting a low-stress game to dip into occasionally.
Frames captured from the gameplay video above; notes are our own take on the game.
What it's like to play
You control Captain Toad, a small mushroom-capped explorer who cannot jump at all, so instead of hopping over obstacles you rotate the entire level like a diorama on a turntable to see around corners, over ledges, and behind hidden walls. Each stage fits on a single small stage rather than a sprawling world, and your job is simply to walk Toad from the entrance to a big star at the top while dodging enemies and traps along the way. You move with the stick and interact with pipes, ladders, and switches using a button, and in handheld mode you can even tap the screen to pluck out hidden turnips or trigger switches directly. From the very first level it is clear this is a puzzle box you look into rather than a course you run through.
Most of your time is spent turning the camera around a stage searching for the best path, since the solution to reaching a gem or dodging a shy guy patrol is rarely obvious from the first angle you see. Each level also hides three gems and one extra bonus objective, so clearing a stage quickly is easy but finding everything in it takes real patience and a careful eye. A typical level takes only a few minutes to finish, but there are dozens of them, and completionists hunting every gem can spend much longer per stage. The Switch version adds new levels inspired by Super Mario Odyssey locations and lets a second player help by controlling a helpful pointer.
Session to session this feels calm and puzzle-like rather than tense, since there is no real time pressure and dying just sends you back to try again. What might frustrate you is that the camera occasionally obscures exactly the path you need to see, turning a clever puzzle into a slightly annoying fumble with the control stick. It is a great fit for short sessions in bed or on a train, and a gentle, low-stress choice for anyone who finds most platformers too fast or too stressful.