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INDIE GAME / PLAY GUIDE

Carto Chapters 1–3 Guide: Island, 4 Sheep, Fog, and Mother Tree

A reference-cross-checked guide to 10 story chapters, difficult layouts, and secrets · Updated 2026-10-13

Early on, collecting paper and talking unlock new-land conditions in sequence. Contains solutions.

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Chapter 1: Collect the island map and sail with Shianan

Collecting glowing paper lets you place new land on the map. Explore by reconnecting edges to your destination instead of trying to fix every piece permanently before walking.

Scene	Action	Success check
Where you wake up	Collect the rolled map to the north and align the detached grassland edges.	Can walk onto the new piece.
First exploration	Collect glowing paper on the new piece, then move your current piece too to reach the next.	Collected pieces are added to your map inventory.
Person by the sea	Explore to the shore, collect paper, and speak to the person fishing.	Can place the house piece.
Grassland house	Connect the house piece to grassland and collect the paper near the house too.	Find a dense-forest edge that does not connect yet.
Forest entrance	Collect the next piece in the grassland and connect matching forest edges.	Can reach the paper at the peninsula's tip.
Lost person	Place their piece east of the piece with the grassland house.	A new house and paper appear.
Forest grouping	Gather forest pieces and speak to the boy beside the forest.	The next 2 pieces appear.
Forest house	Align pieces to connect a large forest and enter the house.	Can inspect the interior.
House wall	Examine the wall's shell and place the obtained piece.	Can proceed to land with a small lake.
Shianan's request	Speak beside the lake and receive a bag. Inspect the mound where coast, grassland, and forest meet.	Can put soil into the bag.
Harbor appearance	Place the piece obtained for delivering soil with its pier pointing north.	Can talk to people at the harbor.
Departure	Receive the boat carving from the harbor woman and speak to Shianan.	Proceed to the next island.

Chapter 2: Follow the sheep, tent, and river light

Residents' words give conditions for new pieces. Use your existing pieces to form enclosed places and path bends.

Scene	Action	Success check
Grassland paper	Collect paper on the west and east sides, then speak to sleeping shepherd Mo.	Learn the goal of returning the sheep.
Sheep and fruit	Touch a sheep and speak to Tuya. Take the differently colored sweet fruit and feed it to 3 sheep.	The shepherd's dialogue updates.
4th sheep	Arrange low-grass patches around 1 empty sector.	A new piece and the 4th sheep appear.
Return the flock	Return the 4th sheep to the shepherd. Touch the agitated sheep and connect the revealed piece to the path.	Find Grandma's paper airplane and the next paper.
Sign and straight path	Read the sign and connect 2 straight path pieces on the side indicating the bridge.	The bridge piece appears.
Tent path	Extend a bending path along the other branch.	The tent appears.
Inside the tent	Place interior pieces to reach the back and speak to Mo's father.	Hear the plant clue.
Plant notebook	Read the notebook in the front room, then return to speak to the father.	Advance the objective of finding a glowing leaf.
Find Ganga	Speak to the boy outside and surround an empty center with forest pieces.	Ganga appears in the central land.
Deliver the leaf	Receive Ganga's glowing leaf and give it to the father from the tent's north side.	Proceed to dinner and the following morning.
Optional clapping	The next morning, examine the potted plant that shook during dinner and clap until it flowers.	A secret piece. Saved separately from normal progression.
Lake gathering	Speak to the people at the lake and rotate your current piece to match the relationship between the river outlet and opposite bank.	Advance Ganga's conversation and waiting with the boy.
Connect the river	When the light enters the river, extend it with the bridge piece.	Can approach the glowing plant from the bridge.
Glowing plant	Untangle it at the bridge.	Proceed to the next chapter.

Check the river continuing from the lake and its bridge connection rather than relying on a single example with fixed river directions.

Chapter 3: Three fog clues and the Mother Tree

In the foggy forest, advance by alternating the same 2 pieces. Cloth, fallen trees, and wind provide separate guidance. After collecting paper, stop using the previous clue.

Scene	Action	Success check
Morning collection	Collect the glowing plant's remains and speak to the owl to the east, where a sound comes from.	Receive the clue for a river loop.
River loop	Stand inside a river curve, then connect the river into a circle.	A person appears inside the loop.
Chirb	Speak to the person in the center and cross to the new campfire piece.	Can collect the 2 fog pieces.
Fog: Cloth	Place the other piece at the exit with cloth tied to a tree. After crossing, move the previous piece to the next exit.	A sound indicates forward progress on a correct connection.
End of the cloth path	Check the cloth each time rather than following the direction Chirb walks.	Can collect 2 new papers at the fork.
Pond piece	Connect the pond and branching-path pieces, then collect more paper.	Can enter the next fog. The dense-forest piece is used later.
Fog: Fallen tree	Connect the other piece on the side pointed to by the fallen tree's long section, alternating pieces as you advance.	A stone piece and new paper appear.
Meeting place	Cross to the stone piece, speak to the people, and collect the next fog piece.	Guidance changes to wind.
Fog: Wind	Place the next piece on the side where trees sway, cross, and repeat.	Reach the path piece and Grandma's paper airplane.
Large-tree entrance	Connect the dense-forest path from the fork through the bend to the dead end.	A large tree appears at the dead end.
Underground worm	Enter the tree, connect a walkable route, and collect the worm.	A worm usable in holes is added to your inventory.
Worm passage	Put the worm into the hole, then rotate the piece it brings back to make a route to the green exit.	Can return above ground.
Grow the tree	Speak to the owl and Chirb and give them the plant remains. Go underground again through the tree on the right.	Can enter the next worm passage.
Find the underground exit	Connect the dotted worm passages so the worm emerges from another hole.	Identify the mound on the exit side.
Collect the worm	Separately connect the walking path, reach the worm, and examine the soil.	An arrow appears. Check worm passages and human paths separately.
Arrow and sign	Connect the sign piece on the arrow's side, then the green-exit piece beyond it.	Can return above ground.
Reveal the stone platform	Bring the stone patterns at 4 pieces' edges toward the center to complete the platform shape.	A platform appears in the center.
Carved pattern	Inspect the platform's pattern and place each map piece in the corresponding position and orientation.	A watcher appears in the center.
Next land	Speak to the 4 messengers and the former watcher, nod to depart, and enter the southern hole.	Proceed to the Story Chalet.

Stone-platform carving: Match nine sectors in 3 rows × 3 columns

Arranging the four quarter-circles to reveal the platform is separate from reproducing its carving across nine sectors. Once it appears, inspect the central carving. With north at the top of the map, form a main vertical line crossed by two horizontal lines, with downward-bending branches at left and right.

Rows run 1–3 from top to bottom; columns run 1–3 from left to right. Rotate each piece's gray line into the corresponding table position. The outer forest forms the outline, while gray lines continue onto neighboring pieces. Avoid extra breaks or merging the top and middle horizontal lines onto a single level.

Original coordinate	Carving section to place here	Orientation check
Row 1, column 1	Left end of the upper horizontal line	Continues right to the upper center. The short bend at the end points upward.
Row 1, column 2	Intersection of the vertical line's top and upper horizontal line	Vertical line continues down; horizontal line continues left and right.
Row 1, column 3	Right end of the upper horizontal line	Continues left to the upper center. The short bend at the end points upward.
Row 2, column 1	Left end of the lower horizontal line and its downward bend	Connect right toward the center and extend the curved branch downward.
Row 2, column 2	Cross at the carving's center	Vertical line continues up/down; lower horizontal line continues left/right.
Row 2, column 3	Right end of the lower horizontal line and its downward bend	Connect left toward the center and extend the curved branch downward.
Row 3, column 1	Short lower endpoint on the left	Continues from the upper-left bend and ends here.
Row 3, column 2	Lower endpoint of the long central vertical line	Extends straight down from the cross above and ends here.
Row 3, column 3	Short lower endpoint on the right	Continues from the upper-right bend and ends here.

This layout check organizes the factual line connections of the published board into original coordinates and wording. Original images and map artwork are not reproduced. Also confirm that the central person appears after completion.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q1 Cannot find the 4th sheep? ▼

Surround an empty center with low-grass pieces. Return the sheep on the revealed sector to the shepherd.

Q2 Going in circles in the fog? ▼

Check whether cloth, a fallen tree, or swaying trees provide the current guidance. Alternate the same 2 pieces, connecting the indicated exit to the next piece.

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