Cloudbuilt

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 685 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Cloudbuilt Game Cover
Cloudbuilt is fun once you get the hang of things. A good challenge for those that do not frustrate easily.
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"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
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 685 reviews
gameplay85 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • The game features fast-paced, fluid movement mechanics that provide a thrilling experience.
  • The art style is unique and visually appealing, reminiscent of cel-shaded graphics.
  • Cloudbuilt offers multiple paths through levels, encouraging exploration and replayability.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating deaths.
  • The difficulty spikes significantly in later levels, which may deter casual players.
  • The inclusion of a life system and limited retries can be frustrating, especially for new players.
  • gameplay251 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by fast-paced, fluid mechanics that emphasize parkour and precision, offering a rewarding experience for players who invest time in mastering its intricacies. While the level design is engaging and encourages exploration, some players find the controls clunky and the inclusion of combat mechanics detracts from the overall experience. Despite its challenges, the game is praised for its replayability and the satisfaction derived from achieving speedrun goals, making it appealing to fans of high-skill platformers.

    • “I enjoy that game quite a lot for its fluid and momentum-based gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic.”
    • “The gameplay is thrilling - if you can get it down right.”
    • “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 itself was a big, hairy, scary, ugly wad of fail.”
  • story233 mentions

    The story in the game is often described as minimalistic and secondary to the gameplay, with many players finding it either dull or uninteresting. While some appreciate the narrative's attempt to provide context and emotional depth, others feel it is poorly executed and not integral to the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that while the story exists and has potential, it is overshadowed by the game's focus on fast-paced mechanics and level design, making it more of an optional backdrop than a driving force.

    • “The story is beautifully made, and really does pull you in; however, if you are only playing it for the parkour style gameplay, it is easily skipped.”
    • “The intriguing story combined with the amazing art direction would be enough to keep me playing, but the fast-paced adrenaline rush has kept me on the edge of my seat.”
    • “The game features a minimalistic story, which is narrated by the protagonist between each level, each presenting her past memories and inner conflicts.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics166 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique cel-shaded art style, reminiscent of titles like Borderlands, which enhances the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. While many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and fluidity, some critique the art style for being distracting or not fitting well with the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's appeal despite some mixed opinions on their execution.

    • “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 are beautiful and the levels are challenging.”
    • “The graphics might feel okay for some, but I personally do not like the style they are using with the outlines and other elements.”
    • “Cons: the graphics are pretty bad in this game. I get that they were going for a unique art style, but it's not good.”
    • “The graphic style is cel-shaded (like Borderlands), and although many people praise cel-shading as being 'artistically beautiful', I find that it makes the textures and colors very flat or basic.”
  • music165 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its stunning and varied soundtrack, which combines orchestral, electronic, and chiptune elements, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players find the tracks catchy and immersive, with standout pieces that evoke strong emotions and nostalgia. However, some reviews note that certain tracks can feel repetitive or overly intense, but overall, the music is considered one of the game's highlights, contributing significantly to its atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “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 soundtrack deserves praise for being catchy and varied, and the graphics, while technically fairly basic, are pleasing enough and provide some lovely environments in the sunnier level branches.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability26 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its short length, multiple paths in levels, and a level editor that encourages community engagement. Players can enjoy improving their ranks, exploring different routes, and tackling user-generated content, making each playthrough feel fresh and challenging. While some aspects, like gunplay and controls, may detract from the experience, the overall replay value remains strong.

    • “Virtually endless replay value with the level editor and the community.”
    • “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.”
    • “The additional game modes force you to discover many paths, adding tons of replay value.”
    • “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.”
    • “The replayability is definitely there.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique aesthetic, combining a comic-style visual presentation with cell-shaded graphics that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of atmospheric melodies and upbeat tracks, which complement the surrealistic environments and frantic gameplay. While the story is minimal, it effectively supports the game's pacing and tension, allowing players to immerse themselves in the beautifully designed levels at their own pace.

    • “This is a wonderful game with an adorable and special atmosphere.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the game's performance is generally smooth with minimal stuttering, but many users report that it is not well optimized, particularly on older hardware. Despite impressive graphics and solid controls, players have experienced frame rate drops and occasional crashes, indicating that the game may require significant tweaking for optimal performance. While the gameplay encourages route optimization and offers a fair challenge, the technical issues detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly with little stutter.”
    • “Don't expect it to be a fast-paced game about reflexes or random levels; it's rather all about finding the best paths and then memorization to clear all the levels with the most optimized moves for the best time.”
    • “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.”
    • “Cloudbuilt requires you to commit many hours just to get satisfactory performance on a level.”
    • “The game grades your performance every level like an angry, disturbed schoolmistress.”
  • stability10 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on decent hardware and has minimal major glitches, players report issues with character control and minor graphical glitches. Some users attribute control problems to user error rather than inherent instability, but there are still moments of slowdown and bugs that detract from the experience. Despite these issues, many find the gameplay enjoyable once they navigate past the technical hiccups.

    • “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.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a powerful soundtrack and a touching narrative that deeply engages players, often leading to a strong emotional investment in the story and gameplay. While some critiques mention a lack of depth compared to other titles, many players find themselves moved by the character's reflections and the challenges they face, resulting in moments of triumph and even tears. Overall, the game successfully intertwines its emotional elements with gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “The soundtrack is very powerful and emotional, and it is one of my favorite parts of this game.”
    • “The first path I went down turned out to be the most difficult, but I was able to throw myself at it tirelessly until I finally prevailed because I was emotionally invested in the scenario.”
    • “The game provides you with a simple but well-written story in the form of the comatose reflections of the main character, which vary in their emotional trajectory, be they triumphant or traumatized, depending on which path you progress down.”
    • “The story is boring and feels like a rehash of the same kind of writing found in Metroid: Other M.”
    • “The emotional depth is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “I expected a gripping narrative, but it fell flat and failed to evoke any real feelings.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely unintentional, stemming from reused cutscenes and awkward graphics that some players find amusing. Additionally, the game's quirky design choices, such as the lack of options for wallrun behavior despite multiple gameplay settings, contribute to a comedic experience, albeit not in the intended way.

    • “Kinda hard to control, and the graphics look somewhat funny.”
    • “It's funny because the game has 4 or 5 checkboxes under gameplay options for changing the behavior of how wallruns work, but none to deal with this issue.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Reviewers express a desire for deeper character development in the game, particularly for the protagonist Demi, as they feel the existing narrative lacks sufficient depth and context. While the game's visuals and music are praised, the storytelling leaves players to piece together character motivations and backstory on their own, indicating a need for more substantial narrative elements in potential sequels.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 inhabits.”
    • “What I mean by this is that you are given information about various situations without the burdensome luggage of character development or even story development itself, leaving you to fill in the gaps in your mind and make it whatever you want it to be.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players appreciate the sense of accomplishment from revisiting levels and easily surpassing old records without excessive grinding. However, many express frustration with the grind for higher ranks, particularly S-ranks, which can lead to burnout and make the experience feel tedious over time.

    • “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, hell, even an A, you won't feel really 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.”
    • “Eventually, the stages start to get chock full of them, and they get a bit tedious to avoid.”
  • 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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

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

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