Cloudspire Is a MOBA That Doesn't Need a Screen, for Better and Worse

Chip Theory Games has a reputation for a reason, and Cloudspire earns it before you’ve even read a rule, thick neoprene mat, chunky poker chip currency, PVC rule guides that are basically indestructible. It’s the kind of production where opening the box is half the experience. StarCraft crossed with a tower defense game is the closest comparison I can give, you’re building spires, deploying units, managing a tech tree, and defending against waves in a way that genuinely feels like an RTS translated to cardboard and chips.

First game I played, I was also trying to teach it, and that combination nearly wrecked the whole experience for me, there’s a lot of terminology and I spent more time flipping through the reference guide than actually playing. Took a full four games before it clicked, and I know that sounds like a long runway but once it did click I understood why people who stick with it get obsessed. The tactile feel of the chips, stacking and moving them around the spire tracks, is honestly satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain until you’ve done it yourself.

Setup is a real chore though, table footprint is enormous once everything’s out, and this isn’t a game you’re throwing down on a weeknight without dedicating real time to it beforehand and after. Rulebook has improved since launch from what I understand but is still convoluted enough that the Chip Theory discord and the BGG forums end up doing a lot of the actual teaching. My copy also came with double sided faction guides that I’ll admit I use constantly, forgetting half the icons otherwise.

If you already like Too Many Bones or Hoplomachus this is an easy yes, same company, same fiddly tactile charm. If you’re coming in cold, know that the first few plays are going to be a slog before the MOBA brain fully kicks in.