But playing ISLANDERS: Console Edition at the same time, which I would argue is the better game (almost perfect, in fact, in terms of communicating its vision, and is cheaper too), only serves to highlight the sharper edges of Cloud Gardens, which is the less refined, if slightly more characterful game.Ĭloud Gardens is virtually text free, which is both a boon and a curse. They’re both designed to be serene, chilled games that aren’t threatened by combat, time limits or hazards.Ī twist of fate has seen these two land at the same time, and has meant that I’ve been playing both in the same week. Get the chain reactions right and your score will grow, but foster thin connections and your score will diminish, your resources will dry up and the level will end. Then you’re placing these things with the aim of ‘chain-reacting’ with other things you have previously placed. They strip back the resource management and city-building themes to the barest of blocks. Both games give you a sandbox to build in, with only two options for things to place. There is a bit of a rug-pull to the review, as while the concept and presentation absolutely landed with me, I wasn’t completely won over by Cloud Gardens.Īlthough the themes are wildly different, there is a huge connection between Cloud Gardens and another game that has launched in the past week on the Xbox: ISLANDERS: Console Edition.
#CLOUD GARDEN GAME FULL#
Developed in full consultation with a Cloud Gardens community, following a demo last year, it’s clearly a labour of love, and even the detail-work, as crows scatter as you place down cars and trucks, is wonderful. The slightly voxelled art style does a superb job of swinging between dull and vibrant, and the ambient soundtrack sets a more laid back tone.Įverything about Cloud Garden’s presentation is top drawer, and developer Noio – effectively just scripter Thomas van den Berg on his own – should take immense credit for what he’s grown over the years. In their own way, they’re beautiful, the hard lines and drab colours of road signs and crates being softened and brightened by the plants you grow around them. Each level is this discrete little diorama, a snowglobe scene but with a 28 Days Later vibe.
It’s the world of Cloud Gardens in microcosm, in fact. You will move from abandoned parking lots to greenhouses, with the latter being particularly poignant, as the plants take over the structure meant to contain them. There are six themes or worlds to explore, with plenty of levels in each. There’s an optimism there that’s kind of rare. I suspect it’s got something to do with the inverted climate change message, that the world will fight back and reclaim the tarmac that we’re carpeting the world with. It’s hard to pinpoint why I like this theme so much. Then you’re dropping even more rubbish down to make them flourish. Monstera keeps on growing, and is your power-plant, gathering you higher and higher scores. Cacti are hardy, so you’re placing them in the risky areas, where your mountains of rubbish might topple and destroy the flimsier plants. Ivy grows up larger structures, so you’re placing it at the root of arches or buildings. That’s the game in one sentence, basically: you’re sowing the seed of a germinating plant, but you’re looking to place it where it’s most likely to grow, and that’s near the shopping trolleys, bottles and wrought-iron fences of the world. How its world works is completely contrary, and theoretically contains a dangerous message, but nonetheless it works brilliantly: the seeds you plant in Cloud Gardens will bloom and spread when they’re placed near rubbish. Want to win a 12 month Xbox Live Gold subscription? Enter now!
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