Known for the Kingdom series, indie developer Noio is growing a new game in Steam early access with Cloud Gardens. It is the end of the world, but that doesn’t stop plants from growing in this surreal and atmospheric setting of urban decay.
In this very serene and chill experience players can kick back at their own pace and overgrow ruins of the world left behind. There are several different scenes of urban decay and manufactured landscapes that includes an old train stop to a partially collapsed greenhouse. Presented as dioramas, players will learn to plant the right seeds in all the right places to create these scenes of beautiful decay.
A sandbox mode is available that has no goals and allows players to grow their creativity. For those who want a challenge there is a campaign of six chapters where one is tasked with striking a balance between nature the manufactured ruins of debris of civilization.
Cloud Gardens is the product of my ongoing fascination with nature and aesthetics in games. I was looking for a way to turn the plant simulation itself into a game. It is essentially finding an interactive way to enjoy the beauty of overgrown landscapes, giving the player a sense of creativity and ownership of their creation, built from natural and manufactured elements. I can’t wait to see the things people make!
Thomas van den Berg, Cloud Gardens Creator and Noio Founder
Cloud Gardens is available on PC and Mac in early access on Steam for $7.99 USD. A special early access launch promotion runs until September 16 that discounts the game by 40%. For more information about Cloud Gardens visit the game’s Steam page.
Noio (@noio_games Twitter) is an indie game developer. Founded by Thomas van den Berg who likes to create games, work on code, art and loves the magic that happens when all those things come together since 2007. The studio is known for its previous work on Kingdom: Classic and Kingdom: New Lands.