The Pony Factory

About

"The Pony Factory" is a dark, black-and-white FPS game inspired by 1950's sci-fi films. You'll face agile enemies in meaty combat, using muzzle flashes and environmental clues to track them in the darkness. The game offers a short, minimalist campaign with improved features and new content from the original release, all set in a town where humans are transformed into magical ponies. Completion can be achieved in around 30 minutes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 520 reviews

story11 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features a unique flashlight and gun mechanic that enhances the horror experience, forcing players to choose between visibility and firepower.
The atmosphere is well-crafted with a dark aesthetic, effective sound design, and a mix of humor and horror that keeps players engaged.
Despite its short length, the game offers a fun and intense experience, with replayability through additional challenge modes.

The game is very short, typically taking around 30-40 minutes to complete, which some players feel does not justify the price.
Limited enemy variety and repetitive gameplay can make the experience feel shallow, with some players wishing for more content and depth.
Performance issues and AI glitches can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration during gameplay.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
7%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its humorous and absurd elements conveyed through scattered notes, while others criticize it for being shallow or lacking depth. Many find the narrative entertaining and fitting within the game's atmosphere, though some feel it falls flat or is underdeveloped. Overall, the story adds a quirky charm to the gameplay, but opinions vary widely on its execution and impact.
- “The game's highlight is easily the story; the little notes you find have a mix of humor and a colorful narrative that is enjoyable and gives the game its substance.”
- “As you explore the black and white world that gets splashes of red here and there, you will find papers that tell you the story of the game.”
- “The story littered throughout the world adds a refreshing comedic element.”
- “There is a story to this game, but it is a rather half-funny, half-asinine type of story with a rather poor twist at the end of it all.”
- “I love Szymanski, but there is pretty much zero story and zero build-up or variety.”
- “The story was not good enough to make up for such unfun gameplay.”
gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
55%
11%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the flashlight and weapon swap mechanics reminiscent of Doom 3, while others criticize it for being bland and lacking depth. Many noted that the darkness adds to the horror atmosphere, but the limitations in visibility and enemy AI can lead to frustrating experiences. Overall, while the game has its moments of intensity and unique mechanics, it often feels unfinished and fails to deliver a compelling gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is intense and dramatic thanks to the hard-hitting enemies and the flashlight mechanic.”
- “I love the use of darkness, plus the shoot/flashlight switching mechanic.”
- “The pistol shoots faster the longer you hold the trigger, which is a satisfying mechanic that I can't recall seeing in any other games.”
- “It took the flashlight/weapon swap mechanic from Doom 3, but you can't illuminate anything further than 10 feet away and the enemy AI responds to most pathing situations by running back and forth while getting caught on corners, so you don't know where enemies are when the room is bigger than a closet if there are no other light sources.”
- “It has no idea, no interesting gameplay (excluding black-and-white darkness & flashlight/weapon-modes combo), or exciting game design.”
- “Story was going for silly and it fell flat; music was nothing but a theremin making alien noises; enemy variety was lacking; and the gameplay was walking down a hallway and then back again.”
atmosphere
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
36%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to blend horror with a unique, cartoonish absurdity, creating a memorable and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound design, level design, and visual elements that contribute to a creepy yet engaging vibe, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is recommended for its atmospheric qualities rather than its combat, making it a short but impactful horror shooter.
- “It is a masterful work that shows that even if your central premise is kind of dumb, you can still create a terrifying experience through visuals, sound design, and atmosphere alone, all things that I absolutely expect from David Szymanski.”
- “The atmosphere is really cool and I love the whole design and lore behind it.”
- “While it lacks the atmosphere or dread of Szymanski's other projects (Music Machine, Wolf in Autumn, Fingerbones), or Dusk's expansive combat, it still holds its own as a relatively short horror shooter.”
- “Despite a sardonic spin on the horror genre, the game efficiently establishes an oppressive atmosphere, once the tormented wailing of a pony begins to echo throughout the narrow corridors.”
- “It's atmosphere is well done, balancing bleak and gritty horror with cartoonish absurdity.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its effective blend of humor and horror, featuring darkly comedic notes and a silly premise that enhances the spooky atmosphere. Players appreciate the absurdity and wit woven into the narrative, with many moments eliciting genuine laughter alongside tension. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, making the experience entertaining and engaging, despite some critiques regarding the story's resolution and difficulty.
- “The dark humor in the notes scattered throughout was perfect comedy.”
- “One of the strongest aspects of the game is that it has a great sense of humor, and I found the overall silly premise to fit really well with the horror aesthetic.”
- “It's that mix of cute, creepy, and funny that makes the game so good.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
45%
14%
The music in the game is a standout feature, effectively enhancing the horror atmosphere with a mix of creepy sounds and a cheesy, theremin-driven soundtrack that maintains tension throughout. While some tracks may feel goofy, the overall vibe is praised for its ability to evoke dread and keep players on edge. The soundtrack is considered enjoyable and fitting for a short horror experience, making it a recommended choice for Halloween gaming.
- “The music is also pretty great.”
- “It's 30 minutes of fun with a great atmosphere, vibe, and soundtrack.”
- “The combat is enjoyable, the soundtrack absolutely slaps, and it is so scary my fight or flight has never been as active as while playing this.”
- “Story was going for silly and it fell flat; music was nothing but a theremin making alien noises; enemy variety was lacking; and the gameplay was walking down a hallway and then back again.”
- “Only thing I find that kills the vibe is the UFO alien music that plays every now and then.”
- “I love the atmosphere except for one music track which is pretty goofy but it's only scary for the first 5 seconds.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
32%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique gritty art style, often described as awesome and fitting for its horror aesthetic, with a notable use of monochromatic and high-contrast visuals. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and creativity behind the visuals, others feel that the overall graphical quality may not meet modern standards, with some even finding charm in its retro simplicity. Overall, the art direction is praised for enhancing the game's thematic elements, despite mixed feelings about its technical execution.
- “Awesome and unique gritty art style.”
- “Incredible game with a terrifying aesthetic.”
- “Love the monochromatic graphics.”
- “Don't expect the graphics to be anything to rave about; the charm lies in how terrible everything looks.”
- “I should not need a graphics card to play a game that looks as technically simple as this.”
- “It doesn't need AAA Unreal 5.2 graphics.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the additional modes and challenges that offer a reason to revisit the game, many feel that the core experience is too short and linear, leading to a lack of incentive for multiple playthroughs. Although there are options for replaying with altered difficulty, the consensus is that once the game is completed, it may not hold much appeal for players to return.
- “Great game, the first playthrough lasted about 45 minutes but has a lot of replay value for only 3 bucks.”
- “The game features a gripping story, fast-paced action reminiscent of even triple-A titles, wonderful and well-paced comedy that adds to the horror atmosphere rather than detracting from it, gorgeous creature design, inspired level design, and nigh infinite replayability with its challenge modes.”
- “As stated on the store page, it's short but there are bonus modes if you're looking for some replay value, an extra challenge or two, or just simply want to get the most of what the improvements offer.”
- “I like the aesthetic, but because there's so little to this 20-minute game and no replayability, it feels wholly pointless even for an indie FPS game.”
- “For a jam game that can be completed in half an hour, I think $4 is a lot to ask for. There are replayable modes, but they are the same game four times with altered difficulty.”
- “Scary; however, after you beat the game, there's no replayability. There is a veteran mode and a no lights mode, but after the first run, you won't feel like doing it.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of horror and fun, evoking feelings of discomfort and trauma through its unsettling narrative and imagery. Players appreciate the effective use of jumpscares and the exploration of themes like corporate greed, which transforms innocent concepts into nightmarish experiences, creating a lasting emotional impact.
- “This has caused me more emotional trauma than anything I've ever experienced.”
- “It was a good mix of horror and fun, some good jumpscares and places that made me feel uncomfortable, but not so much that I just quit out of fear like I normally do.”
- “A brilliant and striking narrative about how corporate greed will twist and rend any wholesome dream into a hellish nightmare... I think...”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is criticized for significant performance issues, particularly during shooting sequences where muzzle flashes cause frame drops. While the gameplay is generally enjoyable, these technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for players to fully recommend the game.
- “The performance of the game is completely whack.”
- “The performance is made even worse when attempting to shoot because the muzzle flash seems to be dropping frames as well.”
- “It was enjoyable to play for the most part, but between the performance issues and the final boss, it's hard to truly recommend the game because it has its share of problems.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues, including bugs and glitches, which are understandable given its short development time and the fact that it was created for a game jam. While players have experienced getting stuck on objects and needing to restart, these issues are generally considered minor.
- “I know the game just released a couple of weeks ago, but it is a bit buggy. I've gotten stuck on certain objects and have needed to quit out of the game and go back into it, but this isn't really much of a problem.”
- “I understand that all of the jank and glitches I experienced are due to this being a 10-20 minute long micro-game made by two people for a game jam.”