Cloudpunk

Cyberpunk is all the rage. Cloudpunk immediately captivates players with the dense atmosphere of its world. The unusual perspective of a female courier in a gloomy cyberpunk city full of hovercrafts and failed lives reimagines beloved tropes in a fresh way. Within the intriguing aesthetic of voxel graphics, which runs consistently throughout the game, glowing neon lights, bottomless urban canyons, ominous skies, and augmented reality serve as defining stylistic elements. Despite the slightly wooden-looking voxel characters, there’s plenty of vibrancy and detail, such as the jewelry in the jeweler’s display and the cleaning robots.

The fantastic audio design brings the world to life and makes it immersive; the ambient sounds and the diverse soundtrack, in particular, immediately draw you into the world and the story. Voice-over narration, a classic genre device, gives the characters a three-dimensional quality.

Cloudpunk’s world-building is rich; the world contains many references to the history and geography of our own world, while not skimping on socially critical elements. Many of the characters you interact with convey a vivid and unique impression of the city of Nivalis. The character illustrations and effects do their part to create a wealth of options and a deep story. Cloudpunk is a special game that invites you to explore and linger.

The DCP Jury 2021