Cloud Dwellers is a 2D city-building and colony sim on Steam Early Access set across a world of drifting floating islands, where you guide settlers from primitive survival to advanced technological civilization — all while suspended in a beautifully stylized sky. It is the kind of game that starts with chopping trees and ends with you running a thriving aerial metropolis powered by mysterious ancient energy.
At a Glance
- Release Date: 17 April 2026
- Genre: Strategy, Simulation, Indie
- Platform: PC (Steam)
- Cost: $9.99 USD
- Developer/Publisher: XinZhi / Xinzhi
Get Cloud Dwellers on Steam →
The Concept
You wake up on a mysterious floating island with no memory of how you got there. Starting with nothing, you gather resources, build shelters, and research technology across a four-tier system. As your colony grows, you explore new islands — each with its own ecosystem and rare resources — and unlock the secrets of the Mysterious Glowing Stone, an ancient mineral that powers the world’s most advanced machinery. The goal: uncover the mystery of this strange world and find your way home.
Core Gameplay Features
- Base Building & Production — Plan industrial zones, lay out facilities efficiently, and build a production network that transforms raw materials into advanced goods. Over 100 structures and facilities available to construct.
- Technology Research — Advance through a four-tier tech tree with dozens of research projects. Progress from primitive tools to machinery powered by ancient energy waves.
- Exploration & Discovery — Venture across 5 distinct regions, each with unique environments, resources, and hidden secrets. Find rare chests with special rewards and uncover the world’s lore.
- Character Progression — Equip gear and use idols to enhance your character’s speed and work efficiency. Multiple progression paths keep your settlers developing alongside your base.
Who Is This For?
Cloud Dwellers suits fans of colony sims like RimWorld or Oxygen Not Included who want a lighter, more accessible entry point with a striking visual style. At $9.99 USD in Early Access, it offers strong value for the amount of content already available, with the developer actively adding more based on community feedback.
Pro Tip
Invest in your tech tree early and plan your production layout before expanding — a well-organized industrial zone in the first island makes everything downstream significantly easier to manage.
