Poly Bridge Preview

Poly Bridge is one of those games that come along and offer boundless potential that can only be held back by the limitations of your imagination. It’s a shame, to be honest, that I don’t really have a creative brain. That fact doesn’t detract from the game’s obvious qualities, though.

The aim of Poly Bridge is quite simple – get a vehicle across a river safely by building a bridge. From scooters to minivans to station wagons and trucks, you’ll have to create a safe surface for them to cross and get to the goal on the other side (signified by a waving flag). The goal might be simple but the means through which you can achieve it are what makes Poly Bridge shine.

You’re given a variety of materials with which to build your crossing with in Poly Bridge. The surface will always be made of the wonderfully nondescriptive ‘road’ while other component parts can be made up of wood, beams, wires and girders. Each affects your bridge in different ways and allows you to attack objectives from a wide variety of angles.

Much like medieval sandbox Besiege, a number of wacky and beautiful creations have begun to appear on the internet. Poly Bridge has an innate sense of shareability about it. The graphics are quaint and attractive – colourful polygons and sleek shapes make the game seem cartoony and modern at the same time – while the soundtrack is pleasant and rustic. Add in the ability to record simulations of how your bridge works and the game ticks all of the word-of-mouth boxes needed to increase in popularity quickly.

Like other games where a certain understanding of engineering, weight loads and dynamics is needed (Kerbal Space Program springs to mind) you’ll often find that what looks to be the simplest solution isn’t always the best. What works for one river crossing and for one vehicle may not work quite so well for the next. There’s a wonderful sense of suspense after you design a bridge and watch as a car trundles towards its rickety and inherently flawed structure.

Despite the game showcasing an in-depth understanding of physics and containing all the elements to make it a great puzzler, there have been some instances where its understanding of the laws of nature are a little flawed. For example, you can create a drawbridge that lowers to the bottom of the river and rises straight back out just as easily. Other players have shown how you can create a bridge that works as long as it smashes in just the right way to fling your car over to the finish line.

A relaxing, jolly little puzzler, Poly Bridge has all the aspects there that make up a game that will while away your time. With a number of levels unfinished and with a few bugs still present it’s a far cry from the finished product but when it comes out it will be a great addition to any indie collection.