Nivalis Nights vs Cloudpunk: Same City, Different Game
Is it a sequel?
No. It is a new game set in the same city. The developers’ FAQ: “Nivalis is the city in which Cloudpunk (ION LANDS’ previous game) is set. Both games will offer a unique experience of the city and its life.” You do not need to have played Cloudpunk.
The game was announced as just Nivalis and renamed Nivalis Nights before launch, which is why older trailers, wishlists and searches still use the shorter name.
Side by side
| Cloudpunk | Nivalis Nights | |
|---|---|---|
| You are | Rania, a delivery driver | A new owner of a Lowtown noodle bar |
| Getting around | Flying a HOVA car | Taxis, trains, and your own boat; no driving |
| Core loop | Deliveries and story | Running venues, hiring, farming, fishing |
| View | First person and third-person car | First person only, no visible body beyond hands |
| Look | Voxel city and voxel people | Voxel city, smooth modelled people |
| Structure | Linear story | Core story arc with choices, plus a sandbox |
Does Camus return?
No. The FAQ: “Currently, there are no plans to bring Camus back to visit Nivalis.” The SimilarWeb search “any returning characters nivalis nights” gets a few hundred searches a month; the answer from the studio is new people, not old faces.
Why does it look different from Cloudpunk?
The studio started with voxel characters, as in Cloudpunk, then switched. The FAQ says testing animations ran into limits, so characters were rebuilt as traditional meshes with detailed faces for more believable animation, stylised to fit the city. The city itself is still voxel art.
Can you drive a car?
No. “You can’t drive a car directly, but you travel between districts using taxis that connect the entire city. You can steer a boat, though!” There is also no taxi company to run: the taxis “will be running themselves”.
Is it open world like Cloudpunk?
Partly. You explore certain districts freely and the ocean by boat; other parts of the city are background. The studio calls it not fully open world. See the map page.
Players coming from Cloudpunk
A Steam forum thread captures the split. Players who expected a pure business sim found the story and side quests heavy; players who knew Cloudpunk said that is exactly what the studio does. Quests have no time limit and the quest list can be hidden (hold J), so you can lean either way. Our review roundup has more.
Thanks. Mind the cameras on the way home.