Cloudy Climb explained

Do you know that Cloudy Climb, Minecraft Dungeons’ first Seasonal Adventure, is just around the corner? Yeah, it has been hiding there for a while now so don’t stare! Cloudy Climb is a shy fellow who only comes out during special occasions such as the season of giving. Luckily for us, there’s a season of giving on December 14. Until then, don’t worry about it, Climbo. Take all the time you need! 

Now, if you find yourself asking questions such as “What is Cloudy Climb?”, “What are Seasonal Adventures?”, or “Why is the author still rambling about hypothetical questions when he could be talking about the update?” – don’t worry! Here to answer all your questions at least two of your questions (and make guest appearances throughout this article) is Lead Designer Laura De Llorens. At Minecraft Live, she told us the following: 

Sounds fantabulous! Let’s have a closer look at some of the new features awaiting you in Cloudy Climb!

Adventure Rank

Adventure Rank is a state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind, mechanical marvel when it comes to Dungeons technology. What do you mean “ridiculous”? I’m a writer, not a salesman! Alright, maybe I’m overselling it a bit, but one thing is true: it is a new feature!  

Cloudy Climb introduces the player to a brand-new progression system meant to add an extra layer to your everyday gameplay. Through normal gameplay and in-game events called “weekly challenges”, you'll earn Adventure Points, which are used to unlock a wide range of new player rewards through a level-based grid. As you collect more points, you increase your Adventure Rank, which in turn allows you to unlock more rewards – up to a level of 50. And the type of rewards? Well, that brings us to our next topic. 

Rewards

If you accidentally stumble upon a totem-looking statue in the camp, don’t curse it for standing in your way! It’s the Adventure Hub – a place where you can unlock your well-earned rewards after a hard day of monster-beating and Adventure Point-collecting. The rewards in the Adventure Hub come in all shapes and forms, and who better to give some background to it than our own Lead Designer? Take it away, Laura!  

How neat! The rewards are divided into two different tracks – one completely free, and one Premium Reward track featuring additional rewards for players who wish to express themselves even further. The Premium Reward track is unlocked by purchasing an Adventure Pass, which will be available for purchase at any point, so no need to be an early bird!  

While new seasons will arrive, there’s no need to be worried about missing out on old content as seasonal ranks and rewards stay around indefinitely, which is a fancy word for ETERNITY. Heroes that wish to progress through previous seasons’ reward tracks will have all the time in the world. Perfect for procrastinators like myself! Laura, did you develop this feature specifically with me in mind? 

Rewards will also vary from season to season and take on new themes. For example, in Cloudy Climb, our first season, you’ll find that a common denominator are avian items and friends, such as the golden parrot pet or the Cloudy Climb cape. And make no mistake: there will always be a free reward track every season!

The Tower

The villagers have a new neighbor! No, it’s not the Wandering Trader making a grand return to the camp. Speaking of which, I wonder where they went? Anyway, this new neighbor is a humongous, mysterious structure at the very top of the camp. This... Tower... is not your ordinary blocky spire, but a unique solo experience players may undertake to prove themselves. 

Players who enter leave behind their fabulous self to turn into an avatar: a shiny, blank character with no access to your previous gear. Basically, you’re a blank slate, and the goal is simple: to advance up the tower, floor by floor, and defeat whatever opposition you might face along the way.  

At the beginning of your run, your avatar only has access to a basic set of gear. But as you progress, you unlock new weapons, armor, and artifacts, selecting between a variety of them for each floor. This allows you to customize your avatar and build your gear setup based on what think is necessary to defeat your foes. You also encounter bosses at certain floors. Defeating these will reward you with rewarding rewards – the higher up you get, the better they become! 

Now, the Tower is not a walk in the park. Its floors will be challenging, and there’s always a risk of failure. However, the Tower is also replayable, meaning that you can return to test new strategies – if one type of gear setup failed you the first time, a different setup might work better in the next! However, every three weeks, the Tower takes on a new form, changing its floors and interior, so don’t loiter! For a more in-depth look at the tower, pay Minecraft.net a visit on Friday next week! 

Adventure comes in abundance when Cloudy Climb launches on December 14! Make sure to visit the Cloudy Climb launch page for more information. Or, if you prefer, go hide behind a corner until the update drops!