Game Info
Year
2020
Players
1-4
Age
14+
Playtime
60 min
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
CloudAge is a strategy game from Alexander Pfister and Arno Steinwender. The award-winning authors have created a dark and dystopian world for 1 to 4 players.
Fifteen years ago, the mysterious secret society "Cloud" set fire to countless oil production sites and burned down large forests to destabilize the world. The resulting environmental catastrophe had disastrous effects on the entire planet. Now, years later, you travel above the dried-out landscape in your airships, searching for a better life. You visit cities, send out drones to collect resources, and battle Cloud militia.
An innovative sleeving mechanism makes a new, more immersive, form of resource gathering possible. Players try to predict which cloud-covered terrain will contain the desired amount of resources or where additional actions are possible. Resources allow players to develop useful upgrades for their airships or attract new crew members.
CloudAge is a mix of engine-building, deck-building, and resource management. The campaign system makes it easy to start playing quickly, with new elements being introduced into the game as players progress through the chapters. While you play, you also experience and help guide the story. If you prefer, you can also play standalone story spin-offs as single scenarios.
—description from the publisher
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 12
This page: 12
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 2 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–12 of 12
Video RGgk3n43jaM
Board Of It Review at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 127099 · mention_pk 362193
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Streamlined euro game
- Good for players increasing complexity but not ready for heavy euros
- Enjoyable for fans of Alexander Feister and Maracaibo
- Great at any player count, particularly good at two-player
- Consistently engaging with limited downtime
- Simplified and rewarding combat system with a good risk-reward element
- Presents good dilemmas and allows for different strategic paths
- Offers a choice-your-own-path experience with good resource availability
- Keeps players invested with secondary actions during other players' turns
Cons
- Resource abundance indication through card art is poorly explained and can be difficult to discern
- Longevity concerns due to familiarity with project cards after campaign completion, with many being repeated or slightly varied
- Map boards are indistinct and double-sidedness is barely noticeable, not significantly changing gameplay
- Stickers need to be applied to components, which is seen as a negative for the price point
- Legacy elements are considered a miss by one reviewer, feeling like a worse version of Maracaibo's legacy elements
- The story in the legacy elements is considered cliché and not very interesting, with an annoying main character (Sam)
Thematic elements
- Scavenging resources, improving an airship, collecting crew members, battling cloud militia
- Post-apocalyptic future, aboard an airship roaming above a desiccated land
Comparison games
- Maracaibo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Placing cubes in cities to show they have been visited.
- Combat — Battling cloud militia, with combat value boosted by ship upgrades and played cards, and optional navigation card draws.
- Deck Building — Involves deck building with navigation cards and project cards.
- Engine Building — Players will be engine building to improve their airship and capabilities.
- legacy — Contains legacy elements, including a campaign that slowly introduces mechanics and builds up the map, and variable setup scenarios.
- Resource Management — Core mechanic involves managing resources like water and energy.
- Tile Placement — Planting growth tiles which can provide VP or resources.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we like the feel of constant progression that cloud age has
- it's also nice to have a combat design that's so simplified and rewarding
- despite how much we enjoy cloud age one thing we worry about is the longevity of it
- cloud age was a game that we really enjoyed it's a lovely streamlined euro
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video YmLh73iABDw
Watch It Played News at 9:29 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90891 · mention_pk 243353
Click to watch at 9:29 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- New game from Nanox Games
- Designed by Alexander Fister and Arno Steinwender
- Lighter weight than Great Western Trail and Maracaibo
- Heavier than Isle of Skye
- Features engine and deck building
- Campaign game
- Players upgrade airships and gain a crew
- Set to release in November
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Players seek a better life after a secret society sabotaged oil production, causing an environmental disaster.
- Above the clouds
Comparison games
- Great Western Trail
- Maracaibo
- Isle of Skye
- Final Fantasy VII
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- campaign game — The game is structured as a campaign.
- Deck Building — Incorporates deck building.
- Engine Building — Players will be upgrading airships and gaining a crew.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- root the game about cute cuddly critters kicking each other in the shins in a forest of death
- hate war cards my least favorite war card is hadrian's wall uncastable jank nonsense
- how hard can it possibly be to design a board game i mean really
- it's pretty hard keeping up with wizards of the coast release schedule kind of feels more like a tower defense game you know where all the different sets are trying to steal my wallet
- come on people to be open a new browser tab so you can go and buy the pdf right now or wait for the physical copy which is in the pipeline
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ZwCeBLeO6iE
Getting Games Discussion at 11:54
video_pk 90899 · mention_pk 243367
Click to watch at 11:54 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video poLX7r--nyY
Getting Games Discussion at 6:07 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90771 · mention_pk 242887
Click to watch at 6:07 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the entire idea of these sponsored tutorials is that i don't give my opinion the game itself is trying to sell itself
- Jump into the pool without preparing yourself
- i love answering all these questions
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OULz-PHCvow
Watch It Played Discussion at 16:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 87969 · mention_pk 230708
Click to watch at 16:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Innovative mechanics
- Engaging theme
- Campaign and standalone options
- Lots of tech to build
Cons
- Felt like it flew under the radar
- Can be push-your-luck heavy
Thematic elements
- Fighting post-apocalyptic terrorist militias from futuristic airships.
- Post-apocalyptic world, airships
- Campaign system
Comparison games
- Great Western Trail
- Blackout Hong Kong
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Movement — Moving your Airship along trying to gain resources.
- Deck Building — There's a bit of deck management deck building going gone.
- Resource Management — Trying to gain resources.
- sleeving mechanism — Innovative sleeving mechanism that makes a new form of resource Gathering possible.
- Tech Tree — There's a tech tree there's lots of tech to build and buy.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a memorable visceral experience that keeps the focus on the sharp tactical space that all players inhabit.
- It's Mad Max the board game but it's it's meant to be really really fun and just frivolous nonsense in a best way possible.
- I agree was this my favorite game of 2020 yes and I would S I would Hazard to guess it still is I love the red Cathedral don't me wrong I also love the White Castle that's a great game too but the red Cathedral there's something about this game...
- Rail Pass is just a little gem it's not something I need to play all the time for sure but Al convention Rail Pass might be one of the best convention games out there.
- This is my now goto solo game I love the small package it contains five different maps and 20 different games in one small box it's completely replayable with simple rules I've become a bit exhausted with complex campaigns that take a year to finish you complete a game of this in 10 minutes.
- Cloudit is supposed to be about fighting post apocalyptic terrorist militias from the futuristic airships but honestly it felt more like we were flying from City to City raining down Death from Above until the poor land bound inhabitants surrendered their precious water to us are we the baddies does it matter as long as you're winning that's all that matters right.
- Each character plays so differently it's Cooperative yet you're doing your own thing but you have common goals to achieve.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kvpbn5xjONg
Rules Teach at 0:05 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 79728 · mention_pk 193282
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Becoming the greatest explorer by gathering resources, completing projects, and battling the Cloud militia.
- A post-apocalyptic wasteland created by a secret society called the Cloud who set fires to oil production facilities 15 years ago.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players mark cities to indicate they cannot fight there in future visits after taking a reward from a round space in the city.
- Campaign play — The game includes legacy tiles, scenario cards, story cards, and a scenario booklet, indicating campaign or scenario-based play.
- Combat — Players can battle the Cloud militia in cities by meeting a combat number requirement.
- Deck Building — Mentioned as a core mechanic of the game.
- Resource Management — Mentioned as a core mechanic of the game.
- Set Collection — Players collect new growth tiles, and victory points are counted for played project cards and highest upgrades for each type.
- Worker Placement — Players place their drone on city actions to take actions such as collect resources, build, or plant new growth.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- cloud age this is a one to four player deck building resource management science fiction game
- 15 years ago the secret society known as the cloud set fires to oil production facilities destabilizing the planet and creating a wasteland
- so you'll be taking the role of an explorer exploring with your airship from city to city gathering resources completing projects and battling the cloud militia trying to become the greatest explorer
- how do you become the greatest explorer and win the game by having the most victory points at the end of the final round
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3z-ECBvF8eg
Board of It Top List at 13:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 38852 · mention_pk 117092
Click to watch at 13:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast-paced rounds; low downtime at 2p
Cons
- Less interaction at higher player counts; some may want more direct conflict
Thematic elements
- Survival and discovery in a damaged world
- Desiccated landscape; airship exploration
- engine-building with light interaction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Simultaneous action selection — First two phases allow actions to be taken concurrently, reducing downtime.
- Tiered interaction and shared actions — During the third phase, main actions trigger secondary actions for others.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's totally solitaire and non-interactive
- it's actually a really great game it's a wonderfully designed
- the core of it doesn't change depending on the players
- it's a race to the finish line and in a race only one person can win there is no second place
- each player also only has two workers
- this is one of the most beautiful games we've played
- the number of available worker placement spaces per action scales proportionately by the number of players
- you can take your actions simultaneously
- you'll be getting the same experience at two players as at four
- it's a mashup of deck building and worker placement
- AI helps simulate a third player and keeps the space competitive
- the rounds fly by
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HQCQE7hS3rM
Board of It Playthrough at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 32281 · mention_pk 95417
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very streamlined and fast-playing for a heavier euros experience
- Clear flow between production, navigation, and city actions
- Engaging push-your-luck feel with card hand management and growth tiles
- Legacy elements provide a sense of progression without slowing down play
- Drones, growth tiles, and upgrades create meaningful choices each round
- Combat is low-risk and functions as a productive action rather than a defeat mechanism
Cons
- Some resource tracking can become dense with many tokens and tiles
- Endgame scaling can be challenging if upgrades and growth tiles aren’t developed
- The heavy reliance on navigation cards means encounters can feel luck-dependent at times
- If you’re not invested in the legacy aspect, you may miss some of the game's long-term flavor
- Publisher/designer notes are unclear in this analysis context; the game specifics aren’t fully surfaced in the video
Thematic elements
- Resource management and exploration with a light competitive edge and a legacy-series element that evolves over play sessions.
- A futuristic, spacefaring terraforming venture where players manage a mobile airship and explore cloud-covered cities to harvest resources, upgrade tech, and expand territory.
- Exploratory and procedural; players react to a dynamic island-like map with hidden information and evolving capabilities.
Comparison games
- The Lost Ruins
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- City combat — Move to a city, compare combat values, spend energy to draw additional cards, and potentially win rewards like water or other resources.
- Drones and drones-phase actions — Assign drones to gather resources or build; secondary actions can yield varied, hidden rewards revealed later.
- Growth tiles and growth planting — Plant growth tiles to gain VP, metals, and upgrades; growth tiles can be upgraded and exiled, adding strategic depth and progression.
- Legacy/upgrade cycle — Legacy elements introduce new cards and upgrades over time, influencing future rounds and endgame scoring.
- Navigation deck and resources — Draw navigation cards each round; lower-valued draws grant resources, higher-valued draws grant movement. Project cards count as resources and require discarding to play.
- Production track — Spend energy to produce water (and sometimes other resources) and move along a production track; position affects future production costs and capabilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Cloud Age plays pretty quickly
- it's quite chunky and you'll get a lot of going on but it's quite streamlined
- there's no fail state
- combat is low risk
- you always want a big hand of project cards
- growth tiles give you VP and upgrades
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video thllkDb_HJI
Before You Play Discussion at 4:34 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 10228 · mention_pk 99952
Click to watch at 4:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- big concept with strategic depth
- great potential under heavy playthroughs
Cons
- complex for new players
- some players may find it long
Thematic elements
- eco-social engineering with terraforming vibes
- sci-fi resource-management civilization-building
- n/a
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Resource management and engine-building — players balance resources and build a civilization over rounds
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- representation is really really important you know like this is speaking from experience growing up as a people of color
- we are curious to know what your experience was like with spiel digital and online conventions
- calico, i really enjoyed learning and playing calico
- we would like to know what your thoughts are on Patreon and what you would like to see
- this month you'll probably see beyond the sun and at least on two Fridays we're going to be live streaming
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video fRDwQcVPdS0
Rolling Dice & Taking Names Discussion at 5:50 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 8173 · mention_pk 85694
Click to watch at 5:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- three standalone scenarios offer accessible entry points
- phase-driven euro engine with clear structure
- hidden-card sleeve mechanic creates tension and decision trade-offs
Cons
- legacy-style elements may deter some players
- hidden information can feel opaque to new players
Thematic elements
- resource management, airship expansion, rebuilding civilization
- post-catastrophe future where airship fleets explore the skies
- standalone scenarios with campaign flair (non-legacy core)
Comparison games
- Maracaibo
- Great Western Trail
- Dune: Imperium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- combat in cloud cities — combat resolution when entering a city with potential upgrades via energy spend and deck flips
- navigation deck / deck-building — a deck-building mechanic where starting cards become project cards or energy; hidden information via sleeves
- phase-based engine-building — upgrading your ship and adding project cards to enhance movement and actions
- Production Phase — resource production on a dedicated board; water and energy management drive actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a solid game
- it's easy to teach; quick to pick up
- this is a great all-around game for everybody
- to me Cloud Age has a feel of Maracaibo
- it's an easy game to learn
- depth perception 3D objects and special relationships
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 7NXLNADQTtY
Before You Play Discussion at 6:41 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 526 · mention_pk 84145
Click to watch at 6:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- technology-driven exploration, collaboration, resource management
- Futuristic colonization and development on cloud-based habitats
- science fiction flavor with strategic depth
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative with optional competitive elements — Players cooperate in shared goals while pursuing individual objectives.
- Engine Building — Develop capabilities to improve your position on the cloud-habitat board.
- engine-building — Develop capabilities to improve your position on the cloud-habitat board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very difficult game
- a fully cooperative game where you are trying to protect this island from invaders essentially
- each player plays as a different spirit who is protecting the island
- each spirit has their own thematic asymmetric card
- we vow to do more play-throughs of because we really enjoyed it
- it's a dry euro
- this is a big combo-tastic game
- chronicle Darwin's journeys throughout the Galapagos Islands
- it's a party style game where you're going to be drawing
- it's hilarious
- I'm terrible at it
- we played with the sisters and everybody had a really good time
- we definitely want to do another top 10 this month
- maracaibo this week
- we're going to release maracaibo this week
- we think cloud age is on its way
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video SO2D8I0y2Wc
Before You Play Top List at 14:47 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92 · mention_pk 126979
Click to watch at 14:47 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Ambitious, dystopian theme from Pfister
- Solo mode noted as available
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Resource management in a cloud-dominated world
- Dystopian cloud society, resource competition in the skies
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- sleeving mechanism — A sleeving-like mechanism integrated with resource management
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "it's kind of a weird year for board game releases"
- "this is top five most anticipated essens digital releases"
- "we are going to discuss our top five"
- "there's 500 coming out this year"
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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