Poly Bridge

At first glance, Poly Bridge doesn't look like it's going to be anything special: The visuals are somewhat low-definition (which stands out in this era of HD-/4K-resolution gaming), and the concept of getting scooters or school buses from Point A to Point B sounds overly simplistic. It's almost like a digital erector set for cars that seems like it can be beaten in minutes. But that's the deceptive hook cast by the game to reel players in; in reality, the structure you build in each level has to withstand the stress of the materials themselves, the forces of gravity, the momentum and weight of the vehicles, and so on. Any one of these factors can make the bridge fail spectacularly, crashing to the ground into a heap. Though that may be a bit dismaying, it also provides a sense of elation when the player manages to build a bridge that withstands the challenge and lets you proceed. That only grows when you're able to use fewer materials, but you can make a bridge that's just as solid.

Unfortunately, the game's random level of difficulty affects playability. It's possible to play through one or two stages and have no problem with your bridge design, but the next stage or two will be so punishingly difficult that you may throw your mouse in frustration. Even worse is the fact that it can be almost impossible to tell which section of your bridge seems to be failing and why. Bridges will fail in completely different ways (even on the same level), so deconstructing the problem will result in a ton of trial-and-error testing. Fortunately, though the game is feature-complete and stable, it's still technically being worked on and expanded, so it's possible that these issues could be smoothed out. As it stands now, Poly Bridge is an enjoyable physics-based puzzler, but its rough edges keep it from being truly phenomenal.