Cloudbuilt

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 581 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Cloudbuilt Game Cover
Cloudbuilt is fun once you get the hang of things. A good challenge for those that do not frustrate easily.
Starting at $19.99Buy now
Get on Steam

"Cloudbuilt" is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer game with a good plot and phenomenal gameplay, visuals, and music. As wounded war veteran Demi, explore a world above the clouds, using your rocket-powered suit to run on walls, leap, and dodge hostile robots. The game features over 40 levels, including 34 revised for 2020, offering a smooth and balanced experience, making it very replayable.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 581 reviews
gameplay68 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique blend of fast-paced platforming and shooting mechanics, providing a thrilling experience.
  • The art style is visually appealing, with a cel-shaded aesthetic that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The level design encourages exploration and offers multiple paths, allowing players to find their own routes and strategies.
  • The controls can feel unresponsive and clunky at times, leading to frustrating deaths and a steep learning curve.
  • The game features a limited life system, which can be punishing and may discourage casual players from progressing.
  • The narrative is often considered weak and poorly integrated, with excessive monologues that detract from the gameplay experience.
  • gameplay209 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, parkour-style mechanics that offer a rewarding challenge, especially for those who enjoy mastering intricate movement systems. While the controls can feel janky initially and some mechanics, like the lives system and shooting, may detract from the overall experience, the game excels in level design and replayability, making it appealing for speedrunners and platforming enthusiasts. However, the steep learning curve and occasional frustrating mechanics can hinder enjoyment for some players.

    • “The gameplay is fantastic.”
    • “The gameplay itself is really fast-paced but is also really smooth, so it weighs out, but if you love parkour, I would highly recommend this game.”
    • “Unique, super solid mechanics (though not very forgiving, which in this case I think is a good thing considering it encourages skill over assisting you), good level design with multiple routes to get to the same place with varying difficulty and speeds, and heaps of replay value in trying to improve your times on levels, I'd say it's one of the most fun games I've played all year.”
    • “But unfortunately, the gameplay isn't free from flaws either.”
    • “The mechanics of this game ruin all the fun; some levels are super easy while others are very difficult to pass, or even impossible.”
    • “The gameplay isn't anything special; there doesn't appear to be anything new or that changes as you progress, and the fact that you have a set number of lives per level is just bad design, in my opinion.”
  • story202 mentions

    The story in the game is often described as secondary to the gameplay, with many reviewers noting that while it exists, it is not particularly compelling or well-developed. Some players appreciate the narrative's attempt to provide context and emotional depth, but many feel it is overshadowed by the focus on fast-paced mechanics and level design. Overall, the story is seen as a minimalistic addition that can be easily overlooked, serving more as a backdrop than a driving force in the gameplay experience.

    • “So begins the story of [b][i]demi[/i][/b], a wounded soldier on the difficult path of recovery.”
    • “Its not revolutionary storytelling by any means, but it represents the struggle of coming to terms with what you cannot control and conveys the struggles the mind faces in times of trauma.”
    • “The story itself is one that follows a hospitalized woman after an accident, and you complete parkour levels in order to progress the story.”
    • “Firstly, the story is kind of dull.”
    • “The story is non-existent and extremely confusing as none of the characters in the game explain what is going on.”
    • “The story is weak, but let's face it, you are not here for the story; if you are, move along.”
  • music136 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, emotional, and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience. The soundtrack features a blend of electronic, chiptune, and orchestral elements, creating an engaging backdrop that complements the game's art style and fast-paced action. While some players noted occasional repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature, making it worth listening to even outside of gameplay.

    • “The soundtrack is absolutely stunning, catchy and upbeat but also serious and melancholy.”
    • “The music is beautiful and kicks up in the levels to add to the high intensity and fast-paced movement.”
    • “The music really enhances the open feel of this game and even if you get to the end of a level, somehow the music makes you want to go back, curious to explore alternate paths.”
    • “The soundtrack is kinda repetitive and the graphics are nice sometimes.”
    • “I did unfortunately experience a few issues whilst playing the game, one of which being the music at some stages did seem to completely lose control of itself and become white noise of nonsense pulsing away in the background.”
    • “The soundtrack has chiptune elements but the orchestral turn me off after 10 minutes, the art style is unique too but my eyes do not like looking at this game for more than 2 hours, everything else and overall just suck 2/10.”
  • graphics133 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique cel-shaded art style, reminiscent of titles like Borderlands, which many find visually appealing and fitting for the game's atmosphere. However, some players express mixed feelings about the aesthetic, noting that while the visuals are beautiful, they can sometimes detract from gameplay clarity and enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's charm and immersive experience.

    • “The aesthetic of the game also fits it very nicely, from the decent soundtrack to the gorgeous art style.”
    • “This game has some of the most fantastic and appropriate visuals out there.”
    • “The graphics still hold up to this day and the game looks amazing and plays well.”
    • “The graphics might feel okay for some, but I personally do not like the style that they are using with the outlines and other elements.”
    • “The soundtrack has chiptune elements, but the orchestral part turns me off after 10 minutes. The art style is unique too, but my eyes do not like looking at this game for more than 2 hours; everything else is just a 2/10.”
    • “There were some minor graphical glitches here and there as well (e.g., in one of the ending cutscenes, it was raining so hard outside the building that it was also raining inside the building).”
  • replayability24 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its level editor, community-created content, and multiple paths within levels that encourage players to improve their ranks and explore different strategies. While the main storyline is relatively short, the engaging gameplay mechanics and various modes provide ample opportunities for players to revisit and enhance their skills. However, some players noted that the gunplay and controls could detract from the overall experience.

    • “Virtually endless replay value with the level editor and the community.”
    • “Not only does this offer great replay value, but there's tons of clever community-made and dev-made levels on the workshop.”
    • “The level design is what makes the game stand out from the rest, not only are the levels very beautifully crafted and unique, they also have a ton of options as to how you can traverse them, meaning that you can play the levels your way and if you want to play the levels again, you could explore different routes and try to find faster ways to finish the level - giving extremely high replay value and a fresh feeling every time you replay a level.”
    • “If this could be done in real-time multiplayer maps, this game would have more replay value for me.”
    • “You will get a ton of hours and replay value.”
    • “Great gameplay mechanics and a high skill cap, requiring hours of practice if you want to obtain higher ranks on levels to give the game some replay value, with around 3 ½ hours of gameplay if you want to just complete all of the available levels.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful, cell-shaded graphics and a compelling mix of atmospheric and upbeat music that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note the game's unique aesthetic and surrealistic stages, which create a captivating environment that complements the gameplay. While the story is minimalistic, it effectively balances the tension of the levels, allowing players to immerse themselves in the atmosphere at their own pace.

    • “Cloudbuilt is a wonderfully original experience with a beautiful atmosphere and perfectly complex level design.”
    • “Beautiful surrealistic stages, atmospheric music, and frantic skill-based action.”
    • “Regarding the atmosphere of the game, the story isn't as important a focus as the gameplay itself, and if you aren't finding yourself interested in the snippets you are given between levels, I believe it can be skipped and read/listened to later at any point by interacting with the computer in the 'hub' room.”
    • “The atmosphere and story, though minimalistic at first, are really quite good and serve as good balancing and pacing for the tension that characterizes the levels.”
    • “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and moveset all work well (for the most part) and make a very compelling product.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it generally runs smoothly and features appealing graphics, many players report significant frame rate drops and stuttering, particularly when using vsync. Despite solid controls and engaging level design, performance issues can detract from the experience, requiring extensive tweaking and time investment to achieve satisfactory results. Overall, while the game has potential, its optimization leaves much to be desired.

    • “The game runs smoothly with little stutter.”
    • “All the pros: runs smoothly, looks pretty, momentum functions right, speed is perfect, challenge is present, learning curve exceptional, deaths feel (mostly) very fair, respawn is instant (desperately important in a game geared around speed), genuine freedom of choice in tackling each course, and finally, Steam Workshop compatibility.”
    • “The level design is pretty good, leaving lots of room for route optimization at all levels of skill.”
    • “It has amazing scenery and graphics that even had my high-performance PC hiccup at one point.”
    • “The in-game vsync is programmed terribly and slows the game down to about 20-30 fps and introduces god awful stuttering.”
    • “Cloudbuilt requires you to commit many hours just to get satisfactory performance on a level.”
  • stability11 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on high settings and performs well on Linux through Proton, players report occasional bugs and minor graphical glitches that can detract from the experience. Some users feel a lack of control over their character, which may stem from user error rather than inherent instability. Despite these issues, many find the gameplay enjoyable once they navigate the bugs.

    • “It runs great on Linux through Proton.”
    • “Besides these nitpicks, the game runs great, feels great, and looks great.”
    • “The game also runs great - I ran the game at max settings with a decent rig and it ran like butter, aside from some moments during the last level of one path (Redeployment) causing some slowdown from all the action on screen.”
    • “Not unstable as in full of glitches or bugs, but I never quite feel like I'm in full control of my character, nor do I feel like I'm improving as I play.”
    • “There were some minor graphical glitches here and there as well (e.g. in one of the ending cutscenes, it was raining so hard outside the building that it was also raining inside the building.)”
    • “It's a shame because without the crashes and glitches it seemed to run smoothly.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players find the narrative touching and impactful, leading to genuine emotional responses, others criticize it for being lackluster and uninspired. The powerful soundtrack enhances the emotional experience, but the overall storytelling does not resonate as strongly as in other titles. Players do appreciate moments of personal achievement that evoke feelings of empowerment and satisfaction.

    • “The soundtrack is very powerful and emotional, and it is one of my favorite parts of this game.”
    • “..a touching narrative that enriches the systems instead of feeling out of place.”
    • “I cried a bit.”
    • “The story felt dull and uninspired, reminiscent of the writing found in Metroid: Other M.”
    • “I struggled to connect with the characters, as their emotional arcs were poorly developed.”
    • “The attempts at emotional depth fell flat, leaving me feeling indifferent to the characters' struggles.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Reviewers express a desire for deeper character development in the game, particularly for the protagonist Demi, as they feel the current narrative leaves gaps that require players to fill in the blanks themselves. While the game's aesthetics are praised, the lack of substantial character and story development detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Should a sequel to Cloudbuilt ever be made, I would certainly hope the devs consider expanding on Demi's character development, as well as the world she lives in.”
    • “If a sequel to Cloudbuilt is ever made, I would certainly hope the developers consider expanding on Demi's character development, as well as the world she lives in.”
    • “What I mean by this is you are given information about various situations without all of the burdensome luggage or character development or even story development itself, so you are left to fill in the holes in your mind and really just make it be whatever you want it to be.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is misleading, with ads presenting it in a way that may not resonate with older players. Many suggest avoiding the game if influenced by its marketing, as it seems to emphasize a simplistic level-based structure rather than its actual content.

    • “Based on the marketing, I would say: do not buy this game if you are swayed by the ads.”
    • “It's a bizarre selling point, at least to players of a certain age, because this is like advertising that your game is made of a series of levels.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Many players express frustration with grinding for s-rank scores on earlier levels, often leading to burnout as they feel compelled to replay stages until achieving the highest rank, rather than progressing through the game. This pressure to perfect each level can detract from the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of gameplay.

    • “I burned myself out because of S-rank grinding on earlier levels in 2015, and I bet that for many people it was the same. When you complete a level and see a B, or even an A, you don't feel good about yourself. Instead of progressing and coming back later to fix your grade, you grind the levels until either you get an S or burn yourself out.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious. It often takes away the joy of playing, as I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over just to level up.”
    • “I feel like the game forces you to grind excessively to keep up with the content. It becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

Buy Cloudbuilt

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
1-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News