Cloud City

Draft buildings and link them with walkways to win the city council's vote.

Designer: Phil Walker-Harding
Published by: Blue Orange (EU)
Editions by: Blue Orange Games, Gém Klub Kft., Maldito Games, FoxGames, Brainteasers

In Cloud City (2020) you are an architect pitching your city plan to the city council, and the council votes for the plan with the best walkways. You develop your own city with buildings in three sizes, then link them with walkways: river walkways join the smallest buildings, forest walkways the mid-sized ones, ice walkways the tallest. The longer the walkway, the more council votes it earns, from one up to eight. Drafting from an open display adds a nice bit of denial. It is a quick, friendly puzzle of connecting the right pieces, best with two.

Walkways in river, forest and iceLonger walkway means more votesOpen drafting of building tiles

Who it's for

You like tile-laying and network-building with simple rules, and you often play in pairs.

Not for you if…

You want heavy strategy or lots of conflict. It is a gentle puzzle, and the decisions stay small.

Vibe's take

Calm, tidy and a little puzzly. You chase long connections and keep glancing at the display to see what a neighbor might grab.