I don’t get to play a lot of Windows Phone games, mostly because I don’t own a Windows Phone and because there aren’t enough of them to warrant buying a Windows Phone. However, during last month’s game developers conference, I got to play a Windows Phone exclusive game developed by a student team from Taiwan. The game, Cloud and Boy, despite being a very generic game, was quite fun.
Developed by Lunghwa University students in Taipei, Cloud and Boy is a puzzle game for the mobile. The focus is to stop a smog-spewing factory from, well, spewing smog. To do so, the player takes control of a cloud and, through various weather related actions, drops a boulder into the smoke stack, stopping the smog from emerging from the factory.
Gameplay wise it’s very similar to Bad Piggies, and to an extent Amazing Alex and Cut the Rope. The player takes control of a cloud, and through a series of almost Rube Goldberg machine-esque placements of instruments causes a boulder to drop onto the factory.
The cloud, essentially the main character of the game, can be split into two or more clouds which can then be used to create lightning. Lightning can be harnessed to blast boulders causing them to roll. You can also reflect lightning off surfaces. Water can also be added to the cloud to create rain.
Cloud and Boy isn’t exactly finished, but for what it’s worth it’s coming along great. As of right now there is no story to tie things together, only a general list of levels to play. Polish wise, the game looks ready to ship; colours and graphics are crisp and clear. My only issue was that in order to generate lightning I had to hold down on the cloud. I was unable to hold down the cloud and see where my lightning was going, though that might be because I have a big thumb. Being a big fan of puzzle games and a big fan of Taiwan, I’m eager to see how this game will do once it comes out. I’m on the market for a new mobile phone soon and maybe, just maybe I’ll make it a Windows Phone.
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