There’s something immediately relaxing about Cloud Gardens. Perhaps it’s the name, perhaps it’s the chance to embark on some teeny tiny diorama growing, or perhaps it’s the opportunity to dive into a sandbox without any real goals. Whatever it is, Cloud Gardens looks to cater for those looking for something a little different now that it has released on Xbox and PC.
We say something different, but Cloud Gardens certainly rolls out onto the Xbox Store and Steam page at roughly the same time as another game of this ilk, ISLANDERS: Console Edition. But whilst they may immediately look similar, they are altogether different affairs.
Cloud Gardens is our main focus here though and if you’re in the market for something you can jump in and out of at will, harnessing the power of nature and growing beauty in and amongst decay, this is going to be for you. It throws you into a small scene of waste, before tasking you to grow and amend things, striking up a balance between the natural and the manufactured. You see, throwing down items will cause growth and lush vegetation – yet only once you’ve filled your space will you be able to move on to the next.
It’s a game that has been sitting on PC and in Early Access on Steam for about a year now, picking up some seriously decent reviews in the process. Now though it releases on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S at the same time as breaking free from those early access shackles. And with that move, comes new options, updates and more.
Expect to see the following key ideas included…
- Solve organic puzzles in a serene 3D space.
- Create to your heart’s content in creative mode.
- Unlock an enormous catalogue of objects and plantlife.
- Share your creations.
- Featuring generative soundscapes by Amos Roddy, composer of Kingdom.
For £14.49 Cloud Gardens could well become a hit. Our full review is capable of divulging all the info you will need though, so we urge you to pay that a visit just prior to you dropping the cash at the Xbox Store or Steam page.
Let us know how you get on with this one. There’s a chance the only thing that can possibly hold you back will be your own creativity.
Game Description:
Harness the power of nature to overgrow lo-fi scenes of urban decay and manufactured landscapes. Create small plant-covered dioramas of brutalism and beauty by planting seeds, repurposing hundreds of discarded objects and creating unique structures for nature to reclaim. Dive into a relaxing sandbox mode with no goals, or take on a multi-chapter “campaign” where the task is to strike a balance between the natural and the manufactured. Adding objects will encourage lush vegetation to grow, but each object must be covered in foliage in order to proceed. Cloud Gardens hovers somewhere in between a sandbox toy and a game with challenges. Partly a gardening simulator, partly a dystopian landscape builder, and partly a puzzle game that is both satisfying and without frustration. It is a relaxing experience that takes you from one scene to the next while encouraging creativity and coming up with your own solutions.
