Game Review | Poly Bridge

VITALS:

TITLE: Poly Bridge

PLATFORM: PC

DEVELOPER: Dry Cactus

GENRE: Physics Puzzler/Simulation

RELEASED: July 12, 2016

Poly Bridge is a physics-based puzzle/simulation game that comes to us from Dry Cactus, a newcomer to the indie scene. It’s simple on the surface yet deviously challenging the further you get into it, and ultimately it’s a game that will appeal to a variety of different play styles.

The basic goal in Poly Bridge is simple: in each stage you are presented with a gorge or body of water that needs to be crossed and it is up to you to build a bridge to cross it. Each area provides you with a given budget to use to construct your bridge, and the challenge is to design a bridge that’s cost-effective and yet is sturdy enough to carry vehicles safely from one side to the other. It’s not simply about building a straight line across the ravine, though – you’ll have to give careful consideration to girders, arches, suspensions, supports, and more. The bridge will have to have the strength and support necessary to carry a variety of travelers from one side to the next.

The game starts out easy enough, but the difficulty quickly ramps up. Part of the challenge is staying within the budget given for each level, but don’t worry: the game does let you go over budget if you want to, though the level won’t count as completed until you design a successful bridge within the allowed amount of money. Still, it’s a fun way to build crazy, massive structures and just have fun with the whole thing!

The game comes pre-loaded with over 100 different campaigns to enjoy, but if you manage to get through all of them and you still find yourself yearning to do some more bridge-building, fear not: the Steam Workshop gives you the ability to download player-made challenges and submit your own challenges for others to try out!

Final Verdict

Overall, I felt that my time with Poly Bridge was fun, albeit a little frustrating (namely due to my sucking at building bridges, apparently). The graphics are whimsical and reminiscent of early-polygonal games from the 1990s while the soundtrack is lively and carefree. The game currently goes for $11.99 on Steam, and if you’re into these types of puzzlers I’d say that the game has more than enough to offer at this price to make it a solid buy.

This game was pretty enjoyable for me, so I’d give it a solid rating of:

“VERY GOOD”

Jessica Brown

Retro Games and Technology Editor. She'll beat pretty much every Mega Man game without breaking a sweat.