Stonemaier Games Reveals Braided Skies, an Airship Adventure in the Smoking Bones Universe

Stonemaier Games has announced Braided Skies, a board game about building a magical travel company with airships, tourists, and gems that keep them flying. It launches on 14th october and will be available at SPIEL Essen 2026.

Designed by Dan Germain, the game puts each player in command of an airship company in the Northlands. Captains explore the land and sky, collect tourists and harvest tapstones, the magical gems that fuel the land. The goal is to build fame and earn the title “Commodore of the Clouds”.

Players have three ships each, and on a turn can either deploy one ship to a port on the shared board or recall all the ships they have deployed. Collection ports supply tapstones and tourists; Wonder ports let players spend resources to add destinations to their itinery, and other ports offer ways to recruit crew, improve ships and expand the company. Some spaces can hold only a single ship, making timing your visit important.

The map also changes during play. Upgraded ships can uncovercloud tiles beside collection ports, revealing events and new places to visit. Harvesters, crewmates, and outposts add benefeits to future trips, whilst back at their company mat players arrange the resources they have collected on outfittings, which are activated when when ships are recalled to their rows.

Wonder cards represent culture, scenic and adventure destinations. They can provide immedite rewards and ongoing abilities, while their symbols contribute o a payer’ growing itinery. Ultimately though, it is fam that determines who can claim the mantle of “Commodore of the Clouds”.

Braided Skies is a competive game for 1-5 players, ages 14+, with a playing time of between 60-90 minutes.

Braided Skies is the first game set in the Smoking Bones universe, created and illustrated by Andrew Bosley, whose artwork can also be seen in Everdell and Tapestry.

You can place orders through Stonemaier’s webstore from 14th October with fulfiment centres in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia sending stock out as they receive their shipments. Local retailers will receive stock a few weeks after the preorder fulfilment has been completed, with online only retailers expecting to receive stock towards the end of November. You can download the games rules, and read the design diaries and more on Stonemaier’s Braided Skies product page.

Images courtesy of Stonemaier Games