Pony Island

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 260 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 161 out of 260
  2. Mixed: 62 out of 260
  3. Negative: 37 out of 260

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  1. Jovuto
    Feb 27, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gameplay - 8/10

    I find it really interesting how Pony Island somehow turns navigating a fictional OS into a game and how it can take many different variations on the same concept to keep things refreshing. Also the meta moments towards the end of the game genuinely tricked me and is miles smarter than any of the meta tricks you'll see in any other game (Undertale comes to mind even though that game is great). However, some repeating ideas can become stale but don't necessarily overstay their welcome as this is a relatively short game.

    Controls - 10/10

    Literally nothing to complain about.

    Aesthetic - 6/10

    I get that this is meant to have a lo-fi look to it but I feel like at least some more effort could be put into the look of the game, especially the world outside of Pony Island... it looks very "Unity"ish.

    Sound and Music - 4/10

    This game has some pretty decent music but, because all music and sound effects were made by outside sources, it can sound very "stock" at a lot of moments.

    User Experience/Tutorials - 9/10

    Practically no tutorials are needed and Pony Island knows this. I mean... do you really need a tutorial for navigating menus? Also, despite how messy the look of the game is (not a criticism), the game manages to be really clear with how things work. There were a few times where I got stuck but apart from that this game has great UX.

    Story - 6/10

    This game leaves so much to the imagination and I mean that in a good way. I feel like there's going to be a bunch of fan theories on what actually happens at the end. A few complaints that I have is that the game feels too desperate to be "copypasta"-like and it can be jarring at times and also it leaves too much to the imagination at the end. The ending just kind of feels like a lazy cop-out (but no where near as bad as The Witness's ending).

    Price - 8/10

    I feel like £4 is a pretty good price tag although I would prefer it if it was just a little but cheaper, along the lines of £3 would be nice. I completed the game in about 2 and a half hours and it has replayability but I just didn't feel like returning to this game.

    Conclusion -

    Pony Island is a solid game with a unique experience. It however lacks polish and a fully realized story. If you want to play something interesting and you have a little bit of money to waste, I'd say go ahead and buy Pony Island... it's great.

    Overall - 7/10    … Expand
  2. Gohenko
    Jan 17, 2016
    8
    Hi, fourth wall. Sorry, we're gonna have to break you. A lot.

    Nah, seriously, Pony Island's a pretty clever game and well worth the asking price of 5€. I don't really want to say anything else about it, because it's best experienced without knowing anything beforehand.
  3. zulx2009
    Jan 18, 2016
    9
    the best creative game I have ever seen
    An incredible experience.funny and puzzling
    best indie game of the year
    worth $5 on steam and 1-4 hours of your life
  4. Zimbardo
    Jan 11, 2016
    6
    In Pony Island you're trying to escape from an evil videogame by completing puzzles (really just variations of one puzzle). Although the game had the premise and potential to go off the rails and be awesome... it kinda just points to the 4th wall and pokes it... and keeps poking it in case you didn't get it the first time. In fact if you've seen the trailer on its Steam page then you'veIn Pony Island you're trying to escape from an evil videogame by completing puzzles (really just variations of one puzzle). Although the game had the premise and potential to go off the rails and be awesome... it kinda just points to the 4th wall and pokes it... and keeps poking it in case you didn't get it the first time. In fact if you've seen the trailer on its Steam page then you've pretty much experienced 80% of this game.

    At the time of my review this game is getting critical praise and I have no idea why. The idea of playing with the 4th wall has been done before in gaming, and one of the most interesting things that occurs in the game hearkens back to 1998's Metal Gear Solid (see Psycho Mantis). I guess videogame critics love games that they can complete and review in a 2 hour period while pretending that they've engaged in something "intelligent". In fact look at me I'm writing a critique of the critics (that's "unexpected!") and by acknowledging this I've broken the 4th wall (how "intelligent"!).

    I'm giving it a 6 because it isn't bad... but don't believe the hype.    … Expand
  5. Jhaerik
    Mar 15, 2019
    3
    If you have more hair gel than hair, wear long sleeved button-up shirts in the summer, you're favorite pass-time is sipping chai lattes, and your boyfriends name is Chuck... you'll love this game.

    For us Folgers drinking working fathers of the world the appeal of this game lasts just slightly longer than the install time. It tries very hard to be funny, but just ends up being juvenile.    If you have more hair gel than hair, wear long sleeved button-up shirts in the summer, you're favorite pass-time is sipping chai lattes, and your boyfriends name is Chuck... you'll love this game.

    For us Folgers drinking working fathers of the world the appeal of this game lasts just slightly longer than the install time. It tries very hard to be funny, but just ends up being juvenile. Unfun gameplay and "stylistic" (stylistic is just another word for lazy folks) artwork can not be made up for by the "OMG 4th wall WTF less me tweet about this" crap. Ok? I

    It's a bad game that seems to have fooled a lot of folks into thinking they are somehow witty for finding it "cool." It's bad in the same way Starbucks made billions off selling terrible coffee. Ok?

    3/10 It runs. What more can you say.    … Expand
  6. HuckingAwesome
    Jan 7, 2016
    10
    An incredible experience. Funny, creepy, baffling, and engrossing, Pony Island is an experience that everyone should have. I don't want to spoil everything, but at $5 on Steam, this is a steal. Give it a try, and give the Devil his due.
  7. kettle
    Jan 18, 2016
    5
    this game isn't that great, it's fun at parts first time through but it doesn't leave much of a lasting impression and the pony levels are really, really boring. although the fourth wall breaking aspects of it are very unique especially with asmodeus.exe which was by far the best aspect of the game and really shocked me, the pony levels and the first two thirds of act 3 leave a lot to bethis game isn't that great, it's fun at parts first time through but it doesn't leave much of a lasting impression and the pony levels are really, really boring. although the fourth wall breaking aspects of it are very unique especially with asmodeus.exe which was by far the best aspect of the game and really shocked me, the pony levels and the first two thirds of act 3 leave a lot to be desired. The two final bosses also are not anything special. take it or leave it as you will… Expand
  8. CooperWJ
    Jan 13, 2016
    10
    Pony Island is such a hard game to make. It breaks the 4th wall repeatedly and its just such a weird feeling to the game i couldn't think straight after playing it ...... oh and PS:the trailer music is AWESOME DEFINITELY worth $5 on steam and 1-4 hours of your life
  9. Noole
    Jan 15, 2016
    5
    Incredibly simple gameplay and visuals, it's something you'd expect from a browser game from 00's. The high scores it's getting is because it's "breaking the 4th wall". Thing is, you need to establish the 4th wall before breaking it, and Pony Island breaks it withing 5 minutes and then keeps repeating the same tricks until the end. Gets really boring and predictable very fast. NothingIncredibly simple gameplay and visuals, it's something you'd expect from a browser game from 00's. The high scores it's getting is because it's "breaking the 4th wall". Thing is, you need to establish the 4th wall before breaking it, and Pony Island breaks it withing 5 minutes and then keeps repeating the same tricks until the end. Gets really boring and predictable very fast. Nothing smart about shouting "Look at me, I'm a game and I'm aware of it". Comparing it to Undertale and The Stanley Parable is a joke, those games are in a different league.… Expand
  10. KirillMalevan
    Jan 25, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Есть свои моменты ну они везде но не везде ну есть свои минусы свои плюсы мне она понравилась и шутки про сатану которых там нет и тут нет запятых… Expand
  11. Gwyndolin
    Jan 9, 2016
    8
    An indie game that's intelligent, atmospheric, immersive, and breaks the fourth wall.
    You have to be tolerant to some light puzzle solving and look past its visuals to get the best experience.
    It's around 4 hours long but it's littered with secrets for you to revisit and find. Keep playing until you get 100% achievement if you want to see all the content. It's only $5 on steam,    An indie game that's intelligent, atmospheric, immersive, and breaks the fourth wall.
    You have to be tolerant to some light puzzle solving and look past its visuals to get the best experience.

    It's around 4 hours long but it's littered with secrets for you to revisit and find.
    Keep playing until you get 100% achievement if you want to see all the content.

    It's only $5 on steam, totally worth it if you are up for some mindfuggery.    … Expand
  12. moysen
    Mar 30, 2016
    2
    I give the game a score of 2 for the few (very few) successful attempts on being funny, as it seems like is the only goal in the game. Overall it was a poor experience with very short, dark and loud/noisy game-play. The story is boring, the dialog, which is an essential part of a game like this, doesn't feel completed and sounds hurt my ears even when it was on very low volume. Normally II give the game a score of 2 for the few (very few) successful attempts on being funny, as it seems like is the only goal in the game. Overall it was a poor experience with very short, dark and loud/noisy game-play. The story is boring, the dialog, which is an essential part of a game like this, doesn't feel completed and sounds hurt my ears even when it was on very low volume. Normally I like games with a little touch of puzzle and humor, but this game just seemed like a waste of time.… Expand
  13. GreenMachineG
    Jan 9, 2016
    8
    Pony Island is a hard game to describe without spoiling. It’s an “experience” game, one that simply must be experienced. It follows in the footsteps of games like The Stanley Parable, Her Story, and Undertale. At it's core Pony Island is a simple endless runner with hacking puzzles thrown in, but where the gameplay falls lackluster the story and atmosphere make up tenfold. Even withPony Island is a hard game to describe without spoiling. It’s an “experience” game, one that simply must be experienced. It follows in the footsteps of games like The Stanley Parable, Her Story, and Undertale. At it's core Pony Island is a simple endless runner with hacking puzzles thrown in, but where the gameplay falls lackluster the story and atmosphere make up tenfold. Even with sometimes repetitive gameplay the game can still really surprise you. If you have a soul to spare and like ponies give this game a shot.

    8.5/10    … Expand
  14. brockcheese
    Jan 12, 2016
    9
    This game is amazing. It's disturbing engrossing and overall enjoyable. As long as you can get past the title, the rest of the game is a blast to play and sucks you right into the world with its weird characters.
  15. PaulVeto
    Jan 11, 2016
    9
    This game is a fantastic experience. Genuinely hilarious and charming, it takes you on an adventure through an arcade machine created by devil himself. Throughout the journey accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack, you uncover quite an interesting story that is both funny and terrifying. It's humorous, it's tense - and more than anything - it's clever. My only problem is that some of theThis game is a fantastic experience. Genuinely hilarious and charming, it takes you on an adventure through an arcade machine created by devil himself. Throughout the journey accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack, you uncover quite an interesting story that is both funny and terrifying. It's humorous, it's tense - and more than anything - it's clever. My only problem is that some of the puzzles are a bit too difficult, which felt a little annoying. Outside of that , Pony Island is a brilliant adventure to go through, boasting what I think is one heck of a climactic finale that will lodge in your memory for quite some time.… Expand
  16. Crimert
    Apr 6, 2020
    1
    Very frustrating puzzles! I couldn't bear it! I could play only 20min on record!
  17. kezzyhko
    Aug 5, 2020
    7
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  18. TitaniumDragon
    Nov 1, 2016
    5
    Pony Island is one of those very meta games. You appear to be playing a game on an old arcade machine, but as the game progresses, it quickly becomes clear that the arcade may not be what it seems, and the game itself is not what it seems. Satan seems to want your soul, and you, quite obviously, aren’t going to give it to him.

    Played via a virtual CRT monitor, the game quickly breaks    Pony Island is one of those very meta games. You appear to be playing a game on an old arcade machine, but as the game progresses, it quickly becomes clear that the arcade may not be what it seems, and the game itself is not what it seems. Satan seems to want your soul, and you, quite obviously, aren’t going to give it to him.

    Played via a virtual CRT monitor, the game quickly breaks down. The core game of Pony Island, where you play a pony jumping over a series of barriers, is broken up with puzzles involving redirecting keys to hack the game, as well as desktop sections where you communicate with another person trapped in the game, as well as constant mockery from Lucifer himself, who tries to convince you to give him your soul to unlock (intentionally terrible) gameplay, and who complains as you keep breaking his games (he worked so hard on them!).

    Over the course of the game, you confront three demons in three different battles of wits and solve a number of fairly simple puzzles, all while the game holds up a very thin sheen of not being some sort of demonic thing that might cost you your soul.

    Unfortunately, while the game itself is a neat concept, all in all it isn’t terribly fun to *play*. The actual gameplay is intentionally simple and samey, and unfortunately, hanging a lampshade on that fact doesn’t make it any more fun. The puzzles are okay but generally nothing to write home about, and while the sheer variability of the thing is interesting at times, at other times you are spending very long stretches doing the same thing over and over again, which just isn’t very much fun.

    The core game of Pony Island is deliberately bad and unfortunately, deliberately bad is still bad.

    All in all, I can’t really recommend this. It is a neat idea, but it just doesn’t really end up feeling like it has enough payoff to be worthwhile. It lacks the feeling of profundity you got from games like The Talos Principle; instead, it is just very simplistic and while it presents itself as what it is, ultimately what it is is nothing all that special. After you understand what it is, there’s little left for you here, and while it is only about two and a half hours long (maybe less), it still wore thin by the end. The moments of cleverness simply aren’t worth the time investment.    … Expand
  19. drlowdon
    Nov 3, 2016
    8
    To be honest it’s hard to know where to begin when describing Pony Island but, suffice to say, it’s very clever and unlike anything else you’ll have ever played. In gameplay terms it largely consists of endless runner style segments and abstract puzzles but you really have to just try it for yourself to even you’re going to have any understanding of exactly how it works.
  20. Ostrypwns
    Apr 28, 2017
    10
    It is rarely that after finishing a game I rush to metacritic page to review it with a perfect score. It is also rare for me to finish even short games - and Pony Island definitely qualifies as such - in just one sitting. This game is an adventure unlike any other that made me feel as if indeed I was trapped inside some insidious machine that wouldn't let me out - not without a fight. ItIt is rarely that after finishing a game I rush to metacritic page to review it with a perfect score. It is also rare for me to finish even short games - and Pony Island definitely qualifies as such - in just one sitting. This game is an adventure unlike any other that made me feel as if indeed I was trapped inside some insidious machine that wouldn't let me out - not without a fight. It is also the best game I've ever played featuring satan as the main antagonist, and simply one of the best games I've ever played. It will make you think, it will make you laugh, it will make you ask "what is a video game?", and it does not overstay its welcome. So what is Pony Island? It is a favour that you owe to yourself. Get it and enjoy, you will be pleased (if you have at least half a brain that is).… Expand
  21. tremault
    Apr 5, 2017
    8
    There is a point where I said out loud "This game is freaking genius!". My brother can vouch for that.
    It is very clever.
    I have to be honest, the segments where you play the endless runner portion are sometimes a bit too challenging for my tastes, but I would just knuckle under and get through them because the rest of it is really rather clever. I won't spoil it by telling you why, but    There is a point where I said out loud "This game is freaking genius!". My brother can vouch for that.
    It is very clever.
    I have to be honest, the segments where you play the endless runner portion are sometimes a bit too challenging for my tastes, but I would just knuckle under and get through them because the rest of it is really rather clever.
    I won't spoil it by telling you why, but chances are you've already seen a ton of spoilers. If you haven't then don't read any more reviews and just play the game. It's better that way.    … Expand
  22. skrik
    Jul 3, 2016
    6
    A very cool concept not that well executed and boring at times (the pony parts & puzzles unfortunately get old). However the third core boss battle was pure genius! Tricked me several times!

    (very slight spoiler on character names ahead) I think if the whole game had been running around that concept ( if satan rather than asmodeus was the one doing these kind of tricks through the game)    A very cool concept not that well executed and boring at times (the pony parts & puzzles unfortunately get old). However the third core boss battle was pure genius! Tricked me several times!

    (very slight spoiler on character names ahead) I think if the whole game had been running around that concept ( if satan rather than asmodeus was the one doing these kind of tricks through the game) it would have been much stronger and immersive.

    Pretty cool chiptune soundtrack too.    … Expand
  23. iseeall
    Mar 4, 2018
    8
    It's an unusual puzzle game where you attempt to escape from a bugged arcade machine with a stupid endless runner game which has an evil AI and won't let you leave. It's a unique experience, and basically every next puzzle is unlike those you've seen previously, so the game keeps asking you to think out-of-the-box all the time.

    Good: - nice retro feel from the late 80s - early 90s,    It's an unusual puzzle game where you attempt to escape from a bugged arcade machine with a stupid endless runner game which has an evil AI and won't let you leave. It's a unique experience, and basically every next puzzle is unlike those you've seen previously, so the game keeps asking you to think out-of-the-box all the time.

    Good:
    - nice retro feel from the late 80s - early 90s, achieved with graphics and sounds
    - unusual puzzles which don't repeat themselves
    - the humor of it all: you stumble in the dark trying to figure out what's happening and what this game is actually about. I suppose the author also puts a question here what makes a game a game, or what a game is? Since the game itself (Pony Island endless runner) is boring as hell, and fiddling around with hacks, bugs and options is the real game.

    So-so:
    - it's a puzzle, so, no replay value. And often you are stuck and just move around the screens doing random things, trying to guess what the author wanted from you this time. And since it all mostly doesn't make sense, it can get frustrating. But that's just what puzzles are about. If you aren't really into puzzles, you may drop it in the middle.

    Bad:
    - nothing really    … Expand
  24. Klewer
    Aug 12, 2017
    7
    Definitely worth a look. Interesting concept of playing a game in a game which is corrupted. It's not a overly long game, maybe 2-3 hours out of it. At the right place it is worth a look as it's a quite different to the norm.
  25. TenchuuKhan
    Sep 24, 2016
    7
    Narrative awesome, gameplay.... nyah.

    You are trapped in a video game that you need to escape out of. The storytelling here is really fun and awkward. Gameplay dumbs down to clicking around menus to find a backdoor, then you hack it. That however is pretty much only 3 things: 1 - sidescroll a unicorn firing lasers evading obstacles and fighting some enemies. (The sort of sidescroller    Narrative awesome, gameplay.... nyah.

    You are trapped in a video game that you need to escape out of. The storytelling here is really fun and awkward.
    Gameplay dumbs down to clicking around menus to find a backdoor, then you hack it.
    That however is pretty much only 3 things:
    1 - sidescroll a unicorn firing lasers evading obstacles and fighting some enemies. (The sort of sidescroller that automoves)
    2 - you need to get a key into a hole. For this you have several columns and redirect functions to get the key in there
    3 - variant of 2 just that ponies fall down

    Game time: 3-4 hours    … Expand
  26. RMDsilva
    Aug 28, 2017
    8
    Super unexpected, funny and old school gaming - the best is how it makes you play simple games and make you alert to whatever oddball might be coming at you next
    wish it was bigger, more complex, varied and a little deeper (:
  27. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    8
    Simplistic game, but creative and interesting to play to the end. I would recommend it.
  28. Datamari
    Feb 3, 2016
    7
    PONIES!
    Pony Island is one of the most clever indie games i've played in a long time, however runs thin after awhile. It starts out as an innocent endless runner, but later on, it becomes dark. You're trying to fight against the video game by completing different variations of one puzzle, and it tries to break the 4th wall... a bit too hard. 4th wall breaking in games has already been    PONIES!
    Pony Island is one of the most clever indie games i've played in a long time, however runs thin after awhile. It starts out as an innocent endless runner, but later on, it becomes dark. You're trying to fight against the video game by completing different variations of one puzzle, and it tries to break the 4th wall... a bit too hard. 4th wall breaking in games has already been done, so this game really isn't anything new. The game had a lot of potential to be balls-to-the-wall insane with it's 4th wall, but it just pokes it. It's not a bad game, but it really should've been something more.

    Pony Island gets a 7/10.    … Expand
  29. chumpwithnoname
    Apr 28, 2021
    3
    Interesting concept but gets boring and repetitious pretty fast because best part of the game is not really the main time spending part (side scrolling and puzzles).
  30. nothingisart
    Mar 2, 2016
    10
    Best game what i'am playing,and best gameplay! OST too best. Very much puzzles, and best storyline!
    Please this is game by god! (and by satana XD) play this pls
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best PC Game of 2016
71
#71 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
100
#100 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. games(TM)
    Apr 14, 2016
    70
    Clever, unique, inventive but brief and repetitive. [Issue#172, p.91]
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Apr 12, 2016
    84
    Wretched Devil itself has slithered inside an arcade machine and tenderly shackles the player inside it. Metafictional loop of satanistic ponies wittily dance through an evening it lasts. [Apr 2016]
  3. CD-Action
    Mar 30, 2016
    80
    A curious experiment that is really worth taking part in. [03/2016, p.69]
See all critic reviews »