Planned Release Date: To be announced

About This Game

KAARTEL — part Dutch kaart (“map”), part cartel: a criminal gang turning Europe into their getaway map.

Thieves are somewhere in Europe. You don't know where.

Ask questions to narrow the search, travel across the map to change what you can learn, and use tactical blocks to cut off escape routes. Every answer gets you closer — but your suspect is moving too.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION

You can't search every city.

Instead, interrogate the suspect.

Are they north of you? Near the coast? In a country that uses the euro? Is it Sunny today ? So you have Red Foxes around ? 

But all questions are relative, so where you are now, changes the answer.

CHASE A MOVING TARGET

After your turn, the suspect moves.

Information that was useful a few turns ago may no longer be enough. Travel to new cities, change your position and ask questions from a better angle.

CLOSE THE NET

Knowing roughly where the suspect is isn't enough.

Use tactics to restrict their options, block key escapes and force them toward places you can intercept.

EVERY ACTION COUNTS

Each turn gives you limited Action Points.

Spend them to:

QUESTION — eliminate possible locations.
TRAVEL — reposition across Europe.
TACTICS — disrupt and restrict the suspect.
ARREST — commit to your deduction.

You rarely have enough actions to do everything.

Good detective work is deciding what you don't need to do.

HUNT EUROPE'S MOST ORDINARY CRIMINALS

KAARTEL isn't populated by supervillains.

Its thieves are people who took everyday European frustrations a little too far.

Each suspect brings their own personality, tricks and case to unravel.

Behind them all sits KAARTEL — a criminal organization with a suspicious interest in maps and an even more suspicious respect for answering to the detectives' questions and only using public transport. Sustainability and whatnot.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

I’m a solo developer. At this stage, generative AI is used only for some character artwork shown in the game’s trailer and promotional material. These assets are temporary and are not used in the game itself.

As a one-person studio, I’m using temporary AI-generated artwork to gauge interest in the game before committing significant time or money to producing the final character art. I plan to replace this artwork with original/non-AI assets before release and will update this disclosure when that happens.