![]() The dioramas are shrouded in a vaporwave-palette fog as well, and when coupled with the calming, subdued soundtrack and sound effects, Cloud Gardens becomes quite the meditative experience. While this low-poly, PSOne era-type art style is often found in horror games these days, it’s really found a foothold in these serene overgrowth scenes. The most soothing aspect of Cloud Gardens has to be the aesthetics. If it was simpler to get started, I think the sandbox mode would be far more enjoyable as it stands, it’s weaker than the campaign mode, but worth a go nonetheless. In fact, my only real criticism of Cloud Gardens is in regards to the sandbox mode, specifically when it comes to laying down any ground. It’s a little bit of a mess at first - especially when you are just starting out and don’t have a ton of assets to work with - but those who have seen Cloud Gardens’ campaign mode to the end will surely find a lot of fun and freedom in this setting. When it comes to sandbox mode, Cloud Gardens pleases those with a virtual green thumb and plenty of creativity. Although the levels may be bite-sized, the entire game itself is pretty substantial - the pre-release version took me about six hours to complete, and a slew of levels have been added since. Beating each diorama means unlocking items to use in sandbox mode, giving players a handful of pixelated prizes upon completion. After hitting the growth goals for the level, the next level will unlock, and players will be whisked away to the next small post-apocalyptic scene. The goal? Plant seeds and encourage their growth by placing more objects in the little environment. In campaign mode, players will find a themed diorama with remnants of humanity strewn about the scene. Hovering somewhere between a game and a sandbox toy, Cloud Gardens has already received the coveted Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam with nearly 1,000 reviews - a good sign for those still wondering if this title is right for them.Ĭloud Gardens offers players two different modes: campaign and creative. Described on its Steam page as “a chill game about using plants to overgrow abandoned wasteland dioramas,” Cloud Gardens is available at a launch price of $13.49 (regularly $14.99). During this time of chaotic devastation, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with news of almost immeasurable loss due to such a destructive force although Cloud Gardens doesn’t extinguish the problems, it serves to soothe the nerves with its chill aesthetics and gentle reminders that even in death, life always finds a way.ĭeveloped and self-published by Noio, Cloud Gardens spent a year in Steam Early Access to weed out bugs and implement quality of life changes based on player feedback. Now, as I review Cloud Gardens nearly 365 days later, California is literally embroiled in a wildfire battle yet again with the second-deadliest fire the state has ever seen. ![]() This time last year, I previewed Cloud Gardens during one of the worst wildfire seasons my corner of the US had ever experienced.
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