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Polyball Game Cover

About

Polyball is a single player and multiplayer casual racing game. It was developed by Studio Monolith and was released on December 1, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Polyball is a physics-based platformer game with local multi-player for up to 2 players. Offering single-player, co-op, and PvP modes, players can compete on global leaderboards or against friends in split-screen. With over 60 levels and DLC plans, it's a modern take on classic ball rolling games, offering both casual and competitive gameplay."

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70%
Audience ScoreBased on 562 reviews
gameplay33 positive mentions
optimization6 negative mentions

  • The level editor allows for creative freedom and customization, making it a standout feature of the game.
  • The game offers a fun and addictive experience, especially for fans of platforming and speedrun challenges.
  • The minimalist graphics and varied level design create an engaging atmosphere that enhances gameplay.
  • Many levels are frustratingly difficult, with a steep difficulty curve that can lead to repetitive gameplay.
  • The camera controls can be awkward and unresponsive, making navigation challenging in certain levels.
  • The game lacks polish in some areas, with bugs and glitches that can disrupt the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is generally described as fun and engaging, with a solid core mechanic that emphasizes speed and precision. However, many players express frustration with clunky controls, inconsistent jumping mechanics, and a lack of guidance on hidden mechanics, which can lead to difficulty spikes and repetitive gameplay. While the level design offers a variety of challenges and aesthetics, the overall experience is marred by technical issues and a confusing scoring system that detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is now silky smooth and really fun, and now I can actually recommend this game because of it!”
    • “Gameplay is its best feature; there are multiple worlds with 10 courses each and while in early access, it's still expanding and extending in length.”
    • “Polyball captures the gameplay reminiscent of Super Monkey Ball quite well, and goes a step further by adding a jump mechanic which opens up a whole new avenue for interesting levels and challenges.”
    • “A bunch of levels are just one-time tests for new themes and mechanics.”
    • “The game requires too much precision for such clumsy controls; any fall ends up having to repeat the map, which is just too frustrating.”
    • “Unfortunately riddled with bugs; even the level design doesn't really play to the strengths of the core mechanics.”
  • graphics
    105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its charming low-poly art style and unique aesthetics that create immersive environments. However, some players criticize issues such as poor visibility in darker areas, lack of depth perception, and suboptimal default settings that hinder the visual experience. Overall, while the minimalist design is appreciated by some, others feel it detracts from gameplay due to graphical glitches and performance issues.

    • “The game is beautifully minimalist in design, controls, and visuals.”
    • “Polyball is a breathtaking graphical experience; it may seem quite simple on the outside, but in-game it is very much an immersive experience about a ball trying to reach a goal through various beautiful environments.”
    • “The low poly visuals and high contrasting colors are so inviting; it's impossible to take turns: 'just one more try!' fail, fail and fail more, then fail less and less and then win!”
    • “The simplified graphical style really sucks for the rock platforming sections where it leaves you with almost no depth perception to make a series of jumps.”
    • “But before you play it, first things first you need to turn down all the graphics options besides bloom perhaps, because they make the game look ugly and play worse as they obstruct and muddy the view.”
    • “While I do like the minimalist graphics and the low poly models, the game really likes hiding holes in the shadows: a lot of times you will race on seemingly flat surfaces only to suddenly fall.”
  • music
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and well-suited to the game's atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and forgettable. Many noted that the soundtrack, although occasionally good, lacks variety and can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the music complements the game's aesthetic, it often fails to enhance the gameplay experience significantly.

    • “The game’s soundtrack is mostly ambient but increasingly energetic, getting you in the right mood for a time-attack styled racing.”
    • “The music fits the style of the game and the little audio cues between menus and of the ball dismantling are fantastic.”
    • “The artwork and music lend to a euphoric experience.”
    • “Also, the music in the trailer is way better than anything I heard in the game.”
    • “The in-game music gets old so fast.”
    • “The art and atmosphere are awesome; I just wish there was more than just one song as it got a tad repetitive after a bit.”
  • story
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate that the game "Polyball" lacks a significant narrative, with many users noting that it has no story or a repetitive one across its levels. While some players enjoyed the gameplay and level design, they found the story to be minimal or non-existent, primarily serving as a backdrop for the racing experience. Overall, the focus is on gameplay rather than storytelling.

    • “I should first say that I completed this game’s entire story mode.”
    • “Challenging story mode with unique levels and a great lifetime; seems to have 6 worlds with approximately 10 stages each.”
    • “The levels themselves are beautifully designed, dripping with atmosphere and scale that really lends to itself as you progress through the story.”
    • “This game has no story.”
    • “In terms of story... if there is a story to this game, I've not worked it out.”
    • “This story would repeat itself for every single sector.”
  • optimization
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, low framerates, and unresponsive controls, even on powerful hardware. While some users noted improvements and expressed hope for future optimizations, the consensus remains that the game is currently poorly optimized and requires further polishing to enhance the experience.

    • “The game starts and the 'controller recommended' shows up: don't be fooled by that, the entire motion is optimized for mouse reactions.”
    • “Nonetheless, a bit of polishing and optimization is definitely needed as my powerful PC that handles games like Witcher 3 almost all maxed out sometimes struggles with this, but I have faith in the development.”
    • “Tldr: the game is a lot better optimized and the developers are really awesome.”
    • “Despite taking years to be 'finished', the game looks the exact same as it did in its early access trailer over 5 years ago - barren, washed out, and badly optimized.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized.”
    • “Controls/mechanics 3/10, level design 5/10, music 1/10, sound 0/10, graphics/atmosphere/detail/style 4/10 (experienced low framerate/bad responsiveness in the low poly cave... pretty badly optimized.”
  • grinding
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be poorly designed, tedious, and often boring, with many levels requiring excessive repetition and button-tapping. While some enjoy the incremental progress typical of grind-heavy games, the majority feel that the grinding detracts from the experience, turning challenges into mindless tasks rather than engaging gameplay. The lack of variety and the presence of invisible hazards in local co-op further exacerbate the frustration associated with grinding.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A lot of grinding.”
    • “Most are poorly conceived, tedious, and boring.”
    • “This is the biggest problem for me: difficulty isn't achieved by complex challenges, but only by making levels last forever; at some point, getting medals becomes mindless grinding.”
    • “Probably half of the singleplayer levels are platforming levels, and that's just something the gameplay is definitely not made for; it feels tedious and annoying.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting it as "buggy" and "unpolished," leading to a frustrating experience. While some players find the glitches add a certain charm, many highlight issues such as graphical errors, problematic auto-camera controls, and difficulties in online multiplayer. Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial fixes to improve its stability and polish.

    • “All of this is great, but the game has some very bad flaws that make me wonder if the developers even tried to make a good game overall: the game is technically pretty buggy and unpolished, some geometry in the levels is plainly bad and the course design is, for too many levels, lazy.”
    • “It seems like a very fun sort of game, but it's insanely buggy; the map constantly glitches out.”
    • “Very buggy online multiplayer experience.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of its physics and quirky character designs, leading to plenty of laughter during gameplay. However, some technical issues and frustrating mechanics detract from the overall experience, leaving players with mixed feelings about the game's execution. Despite these flaws, the comedic elements remain a highlight, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings.

    • “The multiplayer is still kinda broken but it's a really fun game and me and my friends could not stop laughing.”
    • “There are some really funny 'balls' such as human-shaped dolls or cars and other things, and they all have their own physics profiles.”
    • “Online doesn't work, so now I'm having to systematically eliminate each and every citizen I see until I strike enough fear into the heart of the devs for them to repent for their mistake so me and my friends can make funny ball go brrrrrrr.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability through its multiplayer features and competitive score/time attack modes, allowing players to strive for high scores and rankings. However, some users criticize the controls and scoring system as frustrating, suggesting that the replay value may feel artificially extended rather than genuinely engaging. Overall, while the multiplayer aspect enhances replayability, the gameplay mechanics may detract from the experience for some players.

    • “Infinitely replayable in multiplayer.”
    • “Sluggish controls (feels like the ball is moving through some dense jello when you try to steer it), FPS issues on a GTX 1080, and virtual difficulty only achieved through an unrealistically ruthless and frustrating scoring system where a minimum total score (number of 'medals') is required to pass through level sets/sectors - aka fake gameplay longevity with forced/ingenuine replayability.”
    • “Competing for high scores with friends or any users worldwide offers a lot of replayability.”
    • “After every stage, there is a list of times, and it really increases the replayability when you try to get your name among the top 10.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and surreal art style, creating immersive environments that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted issues with repetitive music and technical performance, which detracted from the otherwise engaging atmosphere. Overall, the game's diverse landscapes and level design contribute significantly to its atmospheric appeal.

    • “The visuals are very atmospheric despite their polygonal look, with some very relaxing music in the background.”
    • “Level design is really nice, very surreal and atmospheric.”
    • “The levels themselves are beautifully designed, dripping with atmosphere and scale that really lends to itself as you progress through the story.”
    • “Controls/mechanics 3/10, level design 5/10, music 1/10, sound 0/10, graphics/atmosphere/detail/style 4/10 (experienced low framerate/bad responsiveness in the low poly cave... pretty badly optimized.”
    • “Polyball offers diverse explorable landscapes with secrets to find and atmosphere by the bucketload.”
    • “It all comes together nicely to create a surprisingly pleasing atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players have mixed feelings about the emotional impact of the game. Some express a lack of emotional engagement, while others appreciate its potential despite technical issues that detract from the experience, such as frustrating physics and camera controls. The emotional resonance seems to be overshadowed by gameplay mechanics that can lead to frustration rather than connection.

    • “This game is awesome and has huge potential. Pick it up!”
    • “In addition to that, I feel that the tolerance between what counts as touching and not touching is exceptionally slim.”
    • “Visually, it could appear that the ball is touching the ground, but the physics calculation in the game actually tells you it isn’t, which is why at times the ball seems to completely ignore your input and refuses to jump.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is influenced by its competitive nature, encouraging players to invest significant time in improving their leaderboard standings and achieving gold rankings. However, the presence of bugs and unintended gameplay mechanics adds an unpredictable element to the experience, potentially complicating the monetization strategy.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to keep up with others.”
    • “It's frustrating that progress is often locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra.”
    • “The constant barrage of ads and in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more like a cash grab than a game.”
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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Polyball is a casual racing game.

Polyball is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Polyball.

Polyball was released on December 1, 2017.

Polyball was developed by Studio Monolith.

Polyball has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Polyball is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Marble Skies, Marble It Up! Ultra, Distance, Cyber Hook, Hover and others.