Submitted by Sammy Snyder on
It's been over a decade since Carmen Sandiego and her V.I.L.E. underlings have been spotted anywhere, but the landmark stealing thief is back on iOS devices. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has released Carmen Sandiego Returns in celebration of the character's 30th anniversary. The new iOS game pits players as ACME agents against Sandiego and her henchmen as they cause mischief across the world from Rio de Janeiro to Singapore.
Carmen Sandiego Returns stays true to the formula of the original computer games by teaching children ages 9-11 about history, geography and world cultures.
"Carmen Sandiego Returns preserves the core gameplay, style and characters of the original game, while giving the brand a modern twist for today's digitally-savvy learners," said CJ Kettler, Chief of Consumer Brands and Strategy at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "We are thrilled to celebrate the comeback of one of our most beloved characters and look forward to many more exciting developments for the brand over the coming months."
In the game players must capture Carmen Sandiego and her V.I.L.E. henchmen by using their device's accelerometer and touch-based controls to explore cities in 360˚ detail and collect clues. Players can earn Carmen Coins and XP to travel faster, purchase mini-game boosts and upgrades to become better agents. The game also includes achievements to unlock and leaderboard supports.
Carmen Sandiego Returns is available now for $1.99 on the Apple App Store. The initial $1.99 download fee includes three missions and four mini-game challenges. Additional packs featuring new cities and more adventures can be purchased as IAPs for $1.99. The game supports all devices running iOS 6.0 or later.