Why the Cloudface?

This was the question posed to me a short while ago, and it’s probably due to the announcement of a 2D platformer oozing with more whimsy and charm than any human could handle. Cloudface – aptly described by the bearded trio of developers at Futurebeard – is a 2D hand-drawn platformer inspired by the Earthworm Jim series.

That game’s bizarre setting has you play as a business cloud – as in, an actual cloud that’s also a businessman – as he quests across the land in search of his important paperwork, stolen by the evil King Konniver who just so happens to be a ‘nefarious & fruity’ piece of bubble gum. The most iconic of all of the bad guys being an adorably cute cat, with the uncanny ability to explode in an effort to wipe that smug grin of off your cloud face. At this stage, might I suggest you re-read the last paragraph to fully understand what’s going on.

As far as gameplay is concerned, the folks behind Cloudface are planning to launch with six unique zones, which in turn are composed of three levels and a boss fight. Eagle-eyed players will also be on the lookout for a number of secrets and bonus levels that are to be scattered throughout the game. From the get-go you’ll be pretty hopeless as a hero, with only the ability to flail your spongy limbs across the level, but as time progresses you’ll soon acquire a number of power-ups to help thwart the evil exploding cat menace that plagues your work day.

Everything about this game screams out towards a fun time. The art, the music, the gameplay all point to a labour of love and it shows in the current footage. The developers aren’t taking anything too seriously, instead choosing to make us smile.

Cloudface is currently aiming for a release sometime at the end of next year, which makes me go crazy at the thought of waiting that long to get my hands on this. Until then I guess we can just repeatedly watch these looping gifs and pretend we’re playing, right?

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