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Poly Bridge

Poly Bridge

Dry Cactus · released Jul 12, 2016

IndieSimulation

Unleash your engineering creativity with an engaging and fresh bridge-building simulator with all the bells and whistles. Enjoy hours of physics-based puzzle solving in the Campaign and then jump in the Sandbox to create your own bridge designs and puzzles!

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗
84
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence
82%
At launch
91%
Steam all-time
66%
Press
58%
Player sentiment
91%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–664
All-time Steam reviews91%851000
Metacritic user ratings––0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)91%8571
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 175 reviews sampled · 202 total reviews in window · weighted 86.2 up / 8.5 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (12)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    Nintendo LifeNintendo Life
    trust 76Dec 14, 2017

    “Poly Bridge is a great game because it can both be played in small chunks in between longer gaming sessions or for a quick pick-up-and-play experience but can also be the type of experience you can sink a lot of time and effort into and not get bored with. With an easy to use control scheme (so long as you stick to the touch screen), an appealing presentation and open-ended solutions, Poly Bridge is a game worth coming back to again and again.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    Kinglink ReviewsKinglink Reviews
    trust 71Dec 31, 2018

    “A really solid bridge building simulator that does very little to teach it’s rules such as how drawbridges work. It’s good if you want to build bridges but otherwise, it’s probably safe to skip.”

    read full review ↗
  • 55
    Nindie SpotlightNindie Spotlight
    trust 70Dec 14, 2017

    “Touchscreen controls are better but also have 2 problems, one of them for now crippling...”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    Cubed3Cubed3
    trust 70Oct 2, 2016

    “Poly Bridge is another typical example of these titles that don't really have any issues, but, at the same time, don't really have anything else to give but casual fun for a few minutes per day… and that's mainly through its Sandbox mode, where one can freely experiment with level creation.”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    NintendoWorldReportNintendoWorldReport
    trust 69Dec 20, 2017

    “With all the building blocks in place, it seems like we'd have a great physics based puzzle game that allows freedom and creativity on our hands. However a rushed port with horrendous controls and a game altering bug turn this into an utterly frustrating experience on the Switch. It's almost impossible to recommend in its current state, but with promised patches coming, all hope might not be lost. Keep your eyes out for our thoughts on future patches/updates as they release.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GameGrinGameGrin
    trust 65Jul 21, 2016

    “Poly Bridge is a title that will thrill those who enjoy the genre - it has very few flaws and a lot of playability. Cute, creative and challenging, it's a thoroughly enjoyable title.”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    GameSpewGameSpew
    trust 61Jul 3, 2015

    “While the earlier levels may have you believing you've taken to bridge construction like a fish to water, some levels of incomparable difficulty dotted sporadically around the campaign will instead have you believing you've taken to bridge construction like a fish to high-speed off-road dirt biking”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    Constantly CalibratingConstantly Calibrating
    trust 61Jun 29, 2015

    “"Poly Bridge relies heavily on the idea of positive punishment. You're beaten down time and again as you move through the levels, but the uplifting music and cartoony visuals keep you coming back for more bridge-building fun. This is definitely a title that should appeal to anyone that enjoys building structures; even more-so if they're filled with too much self worth and belief in their own abilities."”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Victory PointVictory Point
    trust 60Jul 18, 2016

    “What Poly Bridge does best is providing you with the right environment for the job. The game features a minimalistic, but solid art-style that perfectly delivers all of the information you need on screen that never gets in the way.”

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    Game InformerGame Informer
    trust 55Aug 2, 2016

    “Poly Bridge is more of a builder's toolbox than a traditional game. Overcoming these engineering challenges is rewarding, but reaching the solution takes a lot of work”

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    Hardcore GamerHardcore Gamer
    trust 53Jul 7, 2016

    “While not exactly one of the best simulation games out there, Poly Bridge still manages to be quite unique and enjoyable, and easily has enough content to satisfy players for quite a while.”

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    PCGamesNPCGamesN
    trust 51Jul 27, 2015

    “At the moment, you're getting a fair amount for less than £10: two campaign worlds right away, each with 12 challenges, almost 260 Steam Workshop challenges and the ability to make your own. And it all works, which makes a nice change. If you have a burning desire to build lots of silly bridges or help tiny vehicles make some crazy leaps of faith, Poly Bridge can scratch that itch already.”

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Recent updates and 1.0.7 patch
    May 11, 2020
  2. 1.0.5 Patch
    Jan 20, 2017
  3. 1.0.5 Patch
    Jan 20, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  4. 1.0.4 Patch
    Jul 26, 2016
  5. 1.0.4 Patch
    Jul 26, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  6. 1.0.3 Patch
    Jul 21, 2016
  7. 1.0.3 Patch
    Jul 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  8. 1.0.2 Patch
    Jul 18, 2016
  9. 1.0.2 Patch
    Jul 18, 2016
  10. 1.0.1 Patch
    Jul 14, 2016
  11. 1.0.1 Patch
    Jul 14, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  12. 1.0 - Crossing the bridge out of Early Access!
    Jul 12, 2016
  13. 1.0 - Crossing the bridge out of Early Access!
    Jul 12, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  14. Build 0.77b-p3
    Jun 28, 2016
  15. Build 0.77b-p3
    Jun 28, 2016
  16. Build 0.77b-p2
    Jun 27, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  17. Build 0.77b-p2
    Jun 27, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  18. Build 0.77b-p1 (Reinforced Roads)
    Jun 17, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  19. Early Access Update #9 - Build 0.77b
    Jun 16, 2016
  20. Early Access Update #9 - Build 0.77b
    Jun 16, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  21. Early Access Update #8 - Build 0.76b
    Jun 7, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  22. Early Access Update #8 - Build 0.76b
    Jun 7, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  23. 0.75b Hotfixes
    May 8, 2016
  24. 0.75b Hotfixes
    May 8, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  25. Early Access Update #7 - Build 0.75b - Sandbox 2.0
    May 2, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  26. Early Access Update #7 - Build 0.75b - Sandbox 2.0
    May 2, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  27. Early Access Update #6 - Build 0.74b
    Mar 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  28. Early Access Update #6 - Build 0.74b
    Mar 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  29. Beta branch update - 0.74b
    Mar 8, 2016
  30. Beta branch update - 0.74b
    Mar 8, 2016
  31. Biggest update ever! Build 0.73b (Early Access Update #5)
    Nov 18, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  32. Biggest update ever! Build 0.73b (Early Access Update #5)
    Nov 18, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  33. Opt-in beta for 0.73b
    Nov 15, 2015
  34. Opt-in beta for 0.73b
    Nov 15, 2015
  35. Early Access Update #4 - Build 0.72b
    Sep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  36. Early Access Update #4 - Build 0.72b
    Sep 27, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  37. Opt-in beta for 0.72b
    Sep 24, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  38. Opt-in beta for 0.72b
    Sep 24, 2015significant · resets scoring window
  39. Update Delayed
    Aug 25, 2015
  40. Update Delayed
    Aug 25, 2015

…and 9 earlier patch announcements.