Last month, we broke the news that Game Insight’s hit game Cloud Raiders would soon be making its way to Windows Phone. The game wasn’t far off at all. After enjoying a brief “open beta” period, Cloud Raiders has now been officially released into the wild for all Windows Phone 8 devices.
Cloud Raiders is exciting for multiple reasons. First, it’s the least casual title that Game Insight (a publisher known primarily for city builders) has brought to Windows Phone so far. More importantly, Cloud Raiders is the closest thing our platform has to Clash of Clans, a very popular casual strategy title on Android and iOS. Both games combine a city building component with fun strategic battles. Read on for more details!
Base building…
At the start of the game, you crash land on a floating island where you must build a base. Some of the buildings you erect will produce gold and clouds, the two soft currencies. So far, Cloud Raiders probably sounds like any other city building game – albeit with a fantasy theme.
Two things set this game apart from titles like 2020: My Country, though. For one, the city building component is far less complex. You won’t have to worry about a billion jillion types of resources or hoping to find random items needed to progress.
Second: most of the buildings in your base have a military nature. Player bases will come under attack from both AI invaders and other players. Cloud Raiders is a Player vs. Player focused game (PvP). The fun part of the base-building component is testing your layout and defenses against the attacks of your fellow raiders.
Plus raiding and clans!
The other thing you’ll do lots of at your base is produce military units like grunts, archers, and bombers. Players always need more resources for base upgrades in Cloud Raiders, so why not go out and take those resources from your fellow players? Attacking a juicy base and looting the gold and clouds inside is quite enjoyable – assuming your team can handle the base’s defenses.
Being inspired by Clash of Clans, Cloud Raiders has full clan support. Right now, joining a clan lets you share units with other clan members and engage in clan chat (global chat is coming soon). Clans have their own leaderboard rankings, providing an extra level of competition to the game.
It just so happens that Windows Phone Central has a clan of its own. After restoring the clan headquarters building on your island, request to join the WPCentral clan. You must have 250 valor (PvP ranking). I look forward to teaming up with you guys!
Cross-platform and ready for action
Much like King’s Bounty: Legions, Cloud Raiders is cross-platform right from the start on Windows Phone. Players can jump back and forth between Windows Phone, Android, and Facebook without losing any progress. Even the PvP battles and clan support are totally cross-platform. The upcoming Windows 8 and RT versions will be cross-platform too.
To access cloud saves and PvP features, you must link your account to a Facebook profile (just like King’s Bounty). Linking your account means you’ll need an internet connection in order to play, so maybe don’t link if you don’t have the internet at home. But the ability to keep your profile even if you uninstall or change devices is more than worth it in my book. Besides, how do you expect to raid other players without being online?
Cloud Raiders is free to play, with in-app purchases consisting of premium currency called gems. The only thing you really need gems for is unlocking the ability to upgrade more than one building at a time. Players can also earn gems by completing missions. In truth, this game’s free to play mechanics are some of the most balanced I’ve seen in a mobile title.
Give Cloud Raiders a try, and don’t forget to join our clan! We’ll be back with a full review soon.
- Cloud Raiders – Windows Phone 8 – 84 MB – Free – Store Link
