Upward (and Sideways) to New Solo Heights with Sky Towers
Build whimsical towers to earn bonuses and make the most of every available card in the solo mode for Sky Towers.
I remember seeing Sky Towers pop up here and there over the last year or so, and I was thrilled to hear about an official solo mode! This is a delightful little card game about building towers with values adding up to 21. Bonuses provide ideas for how to proceed, and each card value has a different effect. I was ready to build some of the tallest towers at my solo table!
Disclaimer
I received a free copy from the designer in exchange for an honest review of the new solo mode. A few details about the publication style are included below for informational purposes, but everything about my experience is my own opinion!
Game Overview
Game Name: Sky Towers
Publication Year: 2024
Designer: Charles Ward
Artist: Charles Ward
Publisher: Ex First Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Second Edition)
A variety of cards form the main deck, where up to 4 towers may be worked on at a time. The goal is to complete a tower with values totaling 21, yet each card has a special effect. Bonuses are also in play and help with victory points. It’s a simple sort of ruleset, yet offers up a neat little challenge!
First Play
July 19, 2025
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 16, 2025
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
10
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
17
Game Area
24" x 22"
Low Score
14
Stacking Cards
What fun towers! I immediately enjoyed the 4-value card, which is the only type that introduces a leaning element. Made for some interesting tower types. Ha ha!
Gameplay is straightforward and not filled with variety, but the removal of 4 cards during setup means that there is some uncertainty around the card distribution.
The bonuses were easy to understand, too, but having a limit of 4 incomplete towers meant I had to think a little bit.
I got very lucky during my first play and wondered if it was too easy… Nope! Not a guaranteed victory at all, thankfully.
Tower Bonuses
A total of 9 bonus cards are always in play at the start and provide different conditions, such as building a tower with a trio of 7s or completing a tower with the last card in hand.
These were tough! I found myself typically complete about 6-8 bonuses each play, although I needed to find the right timing to make the most of some of these bonuses.
Demolishing a tower as a bonus was a tricky thing to do, too, as that felt a little less exciting than celebrating a build.
However, it was certainly helpful near the end when I knew I couldn’t complete a tower! Nice variety with these.
Managing Card Effects
There are a few changes to the effects of some cards in the solo mode. I found that the rulebook was easy enough to follow, and most of these were easy to memorize quickly.
One small clarification from the designer: Card effects must be resolved if possible… Which is important at the end of the game when the deck may be empty. Very helpful, indeed!
I kept this open nearby as a quick reference guide, although I stopped looking at it after a couple of plays.
It was interesting to build my towers, yet I had to think carefully about the order that I played cards. Quite fun!
Towering Above
Note that you keep completed towers organized elsewhere for scoring, but I was a rebel with this play… Just left them out there to admire all of my architectural feats. Ha ha!
It might seem like things would be rather repetitive, but I had a really nice time working through the puzzle.
Many card abilities discard cards to the bottom of the deck, which means it’s important to remember some cards. It’s not a memory game: More an act of collecting information.
I had some satisfying end-of-game rounds when I knew what cards were coming up to complete my last towers!
Learning More About the Publisher of a Game
Truth be told, without this review copy, I might have never tried this one out. It’s not that it’s impossible to find, but there are some other details that might be of interest in discovering more from the designer and publisher! These are some of the top-level pieces of information I though would be of extra interest to share for anyone curious about the game:
- All of the designer’s games are available by request as Forever Free Print-and-Play Games.
- Printed copies of the designer’s games are available from the publisher’s website and crowdfunding campaigns.
A tree is planted for every manufactured copy, and this currently totals over 14,000 trees through afforestation partners. Very cool! So it might be a little tricky to find this one out there, but there are some relatively easy avenues to locate it.
Useful Information
A few extras are included that may seem pretty simple, but they’re actually quite helpful. The card distribution is clearly laid out. I referenced it a few times as I made my plans.
The fact that 4 unknown cards are removed during setup makes it interesting, too. These numbers won’t be perfect, yet near the end, there’s an idea as to what might be left.
Another double-sided card shows the values needed to reach 21, which is a complete tower. Why is this helpful?
Small sums! These come easily to some, while others will appreciate a quick reminder of what’s needed to reach 21.
Up, Up, and Leaning Over
I really enjoyed the 4-value cards. Ha! One of my towers veered off in a very precarious direction, but it was valid and ended up completed! Definitely still standing. Ha ha!
The charming illustrations were quite nice, too, and I originally thought the limited variety in artwork would be a drawback. Nope: Just gave the game its own aesthetic!
My first couple of plays weren’t anything special, yet I started to see the fun of coming back to the puzzle.
The rules were easy to remember, the art was bright and cheerful, and I simply had to work on getting every bonus!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-6
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Second Edition)
Outcome: 16, 14, 14, 17, 15, 14 (2 Wins & 4 Losses)
Hurray for bonuses! I liked how I could complete a few of them at once… Although the elusive triple eluded me. I can see how to pull it off and will have to keep trying! This was a nice little experience that didn’t ask too much of me, but the simplicity slowly grew on me. Much like a tower slowly grows, right? Ha ha! Looking forward to trying to reach new heights with my personal best score. And that definitely has to be paired with another gigantic leaning tower!
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is bright and whimsical with cards that stack neatly to create some very unique looking towers.
- Gameplay is easy to understand, but still features some nuanced strategies with card effects and bonuses.
- Figuring out the best way to use every card in the deck takes a little work and offers a lightweight challenge.
- A helpful card distribution list is included, yet the uncertainty that comes from removing cards during setup is great.
- Final scoring is usually pretty close, and achieving a score in the highest scoring tier is very difficult to come by.
- Managing the deck offers a neat strategy, as gameplay isn’t just about the towers but also the card values and effects.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Gameplay feels repetitive with multiple plays in a short period of time, although the familiarity is a nice concept.
- The same bonuses are always available during every play, which can limit the variety and lead to obvious strategies.
- Even with the helpful reference cards, some towers require constant small additions to keep track of their sums.
- It’s a minor aesthetic issue, but it feels anti-climactic to move completed tower stacks nearby to save table space.
Victory Conditions
Score 16+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 16 points.
Score at least 17 points.
Score at least 18 points.
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Sky Towers? Are there other solo games about building upwards that you enjoy? Creating these towers was a great time, especially with the way I managed the deck and card effects. There were a few agonizing turns when I thought I couldn’t earn a bonus, but ended up finding a way! Glad to have this one for its whimsical architecture!
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