Wouter & Ymke 
In Cloudy Kingdom, four prestigious families are embroiled in a competitive race to seize the throne. Their strategy? Constructing beanstalks that pierce through the clouds, linking their castles to amass the power needed to rule the kingdom.
👥 2-4 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 15-30 minutes
📝 Designer: Joeri Hessels & Wouter Moons
🎨 Artwork: Kris Lauwen
🏢 Publisher: Jolly Dutch (review copy provided)
Players take turns using a route card from their hand, drawing a new one when their turn concludes. These cards, rich in diverse pathways and junctions, are essential for connecting routes. They also serve to disrupt and block opponents’ progress. To play a route card effectively, one must place it either in an open space or at a 90° angle atop another card. This tactical placement is key to linking two castles, positioned on opposite ends of the play area, and simultaneously thwarting the attempts of rivals.
🔮 Each player also has access to three magical cards, usable in place of route cards. These offer unique options: special routes immune to overbuilding, or actions to remove, rotate, or play additional cards. Since every player begins with the same trio of magical cards, the competition remains fair and balanced among all noble families.
🖇 The game reaches its conclusion the moment a player successfully connects their two castles, either from north to south or east to west.
Cloudy Kingdom, a family-friendly card game designed by Joeri Hessels and Wouter Moons and published by Jolly Dutch, is suitable for 2-4 players aged 8 and up. With a play time of 15-30 minutes, this game is part of Jolly Dutch’s line of small card games with a twist. It impresses with a compact yet complete gaming experience, achieved through a deck of 110 cards. The game is not only fun but also eco-friendly, hence the eco-friendly game certificate. The delightful artwork by Kris Lauwen, coupled with high-quality cards, adds to the game’s charm.
♟️ At its heart, the game is about strategically connecting your castles before your opponents do. This involves not only building your own beanstalks but also cleverly disrupting others’ efforts. The game encourages high player interaction, as altering opponents’ routes to gain an advantage is a key strategy. The gameplay experience can vary significantly depending on the players. Seasoned gamers tend to adopt a more tactical approach, while newcomers might initially overlook the magic cards, focusing instead on constructing their paths without hindering others.
🍀 While luck plays a role through the drawing of route cards, the option to use a magic card by discarding an unwanted route card provides strategic choices. This feature, usable three times per game, helps players stay aligned with their objectives. Additionally, players always have two potential building directions – north to south and east to west – offering flexibility to either progress their route or block an opponent’s.
👪 Cloudy Kingdom is straightforward to learn. New players will find the game fast-paced, mainly concentrating on their progress rather than on others’. Conversely, experienced players bring a different dynamic, engaging in a strategic game of cat and mouse, where blocking and demolishing tracks to prevent others from winning becomes as important as building their own. This versatility ensures that Cloudy Kingdom appeals to a broad range of players.
💭 Cloudy Kingdom packs a significant gaming experience into a small box. It features a concise and clear set of rules, making it easy to teach and accessible for all players, offering fast-paced gameplay that adapts to the players’ experience level. Its compact size also makes it also perfect for travel, ensuring entertainment on the go. If this idea of a strategic, family-friendly game that combines tactical play with a dash of luck appeals to you, we can highly recommend trying out Cloudy Kingdom.
📝 Disclaimer: We received a review copy of Cloudy Kingdom from the publisher, Jolly Dutch.
