Psst! Looking for a blank Adventure Log?
A Gamebook by David and Sabrina Culyba
What starts out as just another visit to Grandma’s turns into an epic adventure when the Cousins discover a mysterious map and cryptic riddle. Soon they find themselves climbing mountains, wandering woods, and sailing seas to retrieve three magical medallions and save the Cloud Kingdom. What happens next in the story? It all depends on the choices you make and the roll of your dice!
- 154 Pages
- Recommended for Read Aloud, Ages 5+
- Solo Reading Level 2nd Grade
- Uses a 6-sided die (not included)
The Companion Adventure Log
Occasionally the story will ask readers to record an item found or feat accomplished in their Adventure Log. You can print or draw your own Adventure Log with the link below. Aging your Adventure Log paper not required, but is a fun project!
PS – send us photos of your adventure logs!
What's a "gamebook?"
A gamebook is a book where the reader interacts with the book, influencing the outcome of the story. A well-known example of a game book is Choose-Your-Own-Adventures, though there have been many other variations, ranging from books that simply involve choices to books that require puzzle solving to books that require the roll of dice and some that have readers (players!) gather items or track stats like health points in order to succeed in completing the book’s story. The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom has choices, puzzles to solve, dice rolls, item collection, and achievements.
If your family enjoyed The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom, here are some other books you might want to check out:
The Case Closed Series
by Lauren Magaziner
Timmi Tobbson Adventure Books
by J. I. Wagner
About the Book
The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom is a gamebook written by David and Sabrina Culyba. The main characters are named after their daughter, Hazel, and her (at the time) 8 other cousins. Every year, David and Sabrina create an elaborate unique gift for their nieces and nephews, featuring their animal characters. These “Cousin Gifts” have ranged from custom puzzles to chocolate molds to books. One year it was a board game called “Treasure Hunt” that was later licensed and published by Peaceable Kingdom as Yarrr Har Hunt.
Sabrina and David are also making other games, as Ludoliminal. Join the Ludoliminal mailing list to hear about these other fun things and even have a chance to playtest new games!
Other Select Cousin Gifts
The Strange Invitation (2013)
This was the very first cousin gift, made in 2013 when there were only two cousins. This board book tells the story of Hazel and Lark on their first cousin adventure. Although the physical books are sold out, you can read the free pdf below. Several supporting characters from this book appear in The Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom.
The Cousins Visit the Isle of Toys (2014)
The second cousin gift was a custom puzzle, featuring handmade christmas tree ornaments of the first 4 cousins- Hazel, Lark, Isaac, and Jacob (well, just the tail of Jacob, who was not yet born)- in an elaborate, multilayer scene filled with some favorite toys from the four represented cousin families in the backdrop. There is a 12-piece puzzle for young kids, and a 1000-piece challenge version for older puzzlers. The puzzles were printed with an on-demand printer. On the off-chance that anyone else would like one of these bespoke puzzles, a link to buys is below.
Treasure Hunt (2017)
In 2017, the cousin gift was a board game called Treasure Hunt, based on scavenger hunts from family trips to the beach. This board game was picked up by Peaceable Kingdom and released under the name Yarrr Har Hunt (and the cousin characters replaced with pirates!)
Activity Book (2019)
In 2019, the cousin gift was an activity book with coloring pages, connect the dots, and other activities featuring the 8 cousins who were born by that year. While the physical book is not available for sale, you can download a free pdf of the book pages below.
PSSST! Bonus Escapades!
Have you solved the Riddle of the Cloud Kingdom completely? Did you experience these 3 bonus escapades? (Trust us, you’ll know if you have!)
- Relax undeservedly on the beach
- Be endlessly chased by Rhinos
- Fall down a bottomless pit