Steam Greenlight Spotlight: Polyball

Today’s standout on Greenlight is Polyball, a game by Studio Monolith. Polyball is a puzzle-platforming game with a focus on completing levels as fast as you possibly can. The game is described as a mix of mechanics from Super Monkey Ball and Marble Madness. Being completely honest about the game, it looks like a blast.

Polyball really impresses when it comes to its visuals and its smooth-looking gameplay. I really was drawn in by the low-poly visuals, which don’t always work in games but look fantastic in this case. The game seems to feature a great diversity in terms of its level design, with no two screenshots of the game looking the same. On the Greenlight page, I noticed a mountainous-looking level, a more abstract style level, and a beautiful level that almost looked as if it was out in space. The environments provide a simple beauty that, combined with the right soundtrack, could provide a very serene and relaxing gaming experience, which is always a good thing.

In terms of its gameplay, Polyball takes the best elements of Super Monkey Ball and builds from there. For anyone who remembers playing the series, we know that Super Monkey Ball was a very fun game, but often featured some more frustrating physics issues which may have caused us to fail a challenge at some point. Hopefully Polyball is able to take those mechanics and improve upon them, making the game as smooth as it can possibly be. If we’re talking about time trials in a game, the mechanics must be solid, or else risk the more hardcore and competitive players becoming frustrating at the unfair “deaths” that they will obtain based on wonky mechanics. Thankfully, the gameplay showcased in the trailer looked very smooth, but obviously there’s nothing like having the opportunity to get your hands on the game to really get the feel of the gameplay.

All in all, Polyball seems like a very fun and simple game. Polyball seems like the kind of game that you would hop on and play in short bursts, but I can also see it becoming addicting for those who enjoy time trials and perfecting their runs. With a unique and gorgeous visual aesthetic and solid gameplay, Polyball is definitely a game that you should have your eye on. Currently, you can find Polyball on Steam Greenlight, where you should consider voting and leaving some constructive feedback. Also, if you’re really gelling with the idea of the game, consider leaving a contribution on their Kickstarter. Unfortunately, the game only has one backer as of right now, so let’s try to remedy this and help to ensure that Polyball is actually able to release.