Madagascan developer Red Raketa Studio’s colourful action-adventure is drawing praise for its distinctive cultural identity, music and charm following its September 24 release.

Madagascar has a new calling card in games. Kalanoro, the debut title from Antananarivo-based Red Raketa Studio, launched on 24 September on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, and early critical reception suggests the developers have arrived with something genuinely their own.

In Kalanoro, players control Kalakely, a small kalanoro, a creature drawn from Malagasy folklore, who is picked by a dubious prophecy to topple the witch Raneny, ruler of the island of Lemuria.

Video Chums’ A.J. Maciejewski, an OpenCritic Top Critic, praised the game as “one of the cutest platformers you’ll ever play,” adding that it hides a surprising amount of challenge and variety beneath its sweet exterior.

At LadiesGamers, James Luff awarded the game a “Liked-a-lot” verdict. He called it “a genuinely likeable game with plenty of personality” and said he enjoyed exploring Lemuria, hunting collectables and flinging absurd weapons at enemies. Luff also argued that quirky games like this are often the ones that stay with players.

Minimap’s Cassie Knight found it very welcoming for newcomers to platformers while still enjoyable for experienced players. She put in six to eight hours chasing every collectible, which she said she only does when a game truly hooks her: “I really enjoyed my time with this.”

Technetbook highlighted the game’s cultural roots most directly. Its reviewer praised the Malagasy influence running through everything from the dishes Kalakely cooks to the warm, saturated colour palette, and singled out the soundtrack, particularly the track “Lemuria Banana”, as an irresistible earworm. The outlet summed it up simply: “What Kalanoro lacks in challenge, it makes up for in style.” It also recommended the game as a relaxed weekend pick, especially for households with young players.

Across the reviews, critics consistently praised the same qualities: bite-sized, well-paced levels, the running joke of battling enemies with a flip-flop, and a light-hearted tone suited to casual play. The reservations were also consistent. Several reviewers found the difficulty low and the tour-bus management somewhat fiddly.

Founded in 2021, Red Raketa Studio brings together a new generation of Malagasy talent, and publisher New Tales has taken the game global, with SEGA bringing the adventure to players across Asia.