Cloud Climber

I think they call these things walking simulators. I don't know if this is a good one or not. I don't know what a good walking simulator is. If this is a good one then walking simulators aren't for me. It's well made, though. All the buttons work and the models are pretty and... I dunno. It's fine. Just not for me.

Those pages you can read have oddly good comedic timing

Cloud Climber is one of those really short games that I think works best when I do not expect it to be a normal full length adventure. It is a first person walking game set in a world where it has stopped raining and all of Earth's water has disappeared into the clouds. Humanity has spent generations building enormous towers in the hope of reaching that water, and I am climbing through the remains of those attempts. The idea is simple, but I like how quickly the game establishes a lonely and slightly depressing atmosphere without needing a huge amount of dialogue or complicated gameplay. Most of what I actually do is explore the towers and interact with simple objects to keep moving upwards. I climb stairs, operate mechanisms, cross gaps and look around the environment while the narration slowly explains what happened to the world. There is no combat and there is not really a traditional puzzle system either, so I am mostly there to experience the setting and story. Normally that would not be enough for me, but the huge towers and the idea behind them give me enough curiosity to keep going. The hand drawn visual style is probably the strongest part of the game for me. The towers look strange and impressive, especially when I can see how far they stretch into the sky. The warm lighting and fog give everything a quiet atmosphere that works surprisingly well with the bleak story. I also like the fully voiced narration because it makes the world feel more personal. I am not just reading random notes and guessing what happened. I am being guided through the history of this dying world while I explore it. The biggest issue is definitely the length. The game is designed to take around 10 to 15 minutes, and that is not an exaggeration. I can finish the whole experience very quickly, which means there is almost no replay value once I know the story. I understand that this was made as a short game and I do not think it is fair to criticise it for not being a ten hour adventure, but it still affects how much value I can give it. I would have liked more towers, more exploration and more opportunities to learn about the people who built everything. I also think the actual gameplay is extremely basic. There are a few simple interactions, but I am never really challenged. I am mostly walking from one point to another and listening to the narration, so the experience depends almost entirely on whether the atmosphere and story are enough to keep me interested. For me, they mostly are, but there are moments where I feel like I am looking at something much more interesting than what I am actually doing. The game could have used a little more interaction without losing its relaxed style. Even with that limitation, I think Cloud Climber has a memorable concept. The idea of humanity building higher and higher into the sky because there is no water left is genuinely interesting, and I like the way the game lets me piece together what happened by exploring the abandoned structures. It also helps that the game is completely free, so I am not making a major commitment to experience it. I can finish it in one sitting and still come away with a clear impression of its world and story. Overall, Cloud Climber is a short but atmospheric experience that I think gets a lot out of very little. I like the hand drawn art, voice narration, lonely setting and simple story, and the central idea of building towers towards the clouds is strong enough to stay with me after the game ends. The extremely short length and almost complete lack of gameplay depth keep it from reaching the higher ratings I give to more substantial games. Still, for a free experience that only asks for a few minutes of my time, I think it is worth playing when I want something calm, strange and a little depressing. Rating: 7.8/10