PC User Reviews

At the game's core, Pony Island is 3 games: a mediocre run-and-gun, a mediocre puzzle game, and an interesting meta-game. The value of Pony Island lies in its creative use of misdirection and subversion of expectations. It is a multi-media experience that is more than the sum of its parts and is entertaining enough from start to finish. It it nowhere near the masterpiece Mullins would later create in the roguelike card game, "Inscryption" but is an engaging introduction to his game design ethos. I enjoyed Pony Island, but I am also thankful that it did not overstay its welcome. At its best, Pony Island is a quirky magic show of game design elements, featuring paradigm shifts and programming tricks that are able to sustain the shallow game play for the couple of hours that it takes to beat it. Verdict: MODERATELY GOOD

Genialidad incalificable. Probablemente el juego más extraño que haya jugado nunca. Obviamente no es un juego para todos los públicos, pero sin duda tiene ese aire retro, esa mala leche y esos guiños a los videojuegos clásicos que, unidos a unos puzles generalmente bien diseñados, hacen que merezca la pena. Un gran juego con un envoltorio de 8 bits, aunque bastante cortito, eso sí

This game is just good, it’s short but fun, interesting and original, I recommend it a lot, plus is very cheap

It's a magical game about ponys you can play in one sitting. It goes on sale for a dollar often so I would definitely recommend it for that price.

This game is very very short and yet still manages to get repetitive and dull. The subversions here hardly work because the game immediately blows its own load before you even played for five minutes. It's not terrible but there's no reason to play this instead of Daniel Mullians other games.

Pony Island is a video game developed and published by Canadian indie developer Daniel Mullins. As a metafictional game, the game has the player interact with what appears to be an old arcade cabinet game called "Pony Island". The player soon discovers the game is corrupted by Lucifer himself, who is trying to claim the player's soul for itself. The player is aided by the soul of a previous player who helps the player access Pony Island's internal programming to get around the traps left by Lucifer and save not only their soul, but the many tormented souls that are trapped within the game's code.

I wanted to give 9/10, but I started to think about the drawbacks... and I've found none. One could not simply make this game better, it excels all its ambitions. Must play for computer games lovers (this title will become classic like Portal or Stanley Parable).

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).

A very short and very sweet metagame. I can't actually say anymore without spoiling it so just go and play... You won't regret it. Afterwards go and learn your fractions with Frog Fractions.

The sheer shock of moving from one wild idea to another makes Pony Island one of the most surprising and engaging recent indie titles. Daniel Mullins knows how to break the fourth wall in increasingly entertaining and somewhat deranged ways and the soundtrack and visuals really help sell the entire experience. The final four or so of the game could have benefited from a little more care but overall this is one of the best game and meta experiences of 2016.

Very frustrating puzzles! I couldn't bear it! I could play only 20min on record!

An enjoyable 2 hour experience. A lot of love went into this game. It definitely had the potential to fullfil its main ambition (to break the 4th wall) but it doesn't do it. Worth buying, but it's not a 10. 6.5/10

The game is extremely well done and is unique to every other game I've played. The fourth wall is broken multiple times and there are quite a few characters other than just ponies. The easter eggs were hard but fun to find. It manages to keep the game creepy and scares you without the need of jumpscares. I love the 'Show don't tell' with the puzzles and just the puzzles overall. The only problem I have with this game is near the end where it's shown that it was obviously made for Windows 7 and definitely needs an update so it can change depending on what OS you're using.

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.

Simplistic game, but creative and interesting to play to the end. I would recommend it.

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

Какая же это годнота, просто слов нет. Интересно с самого начало, не оторвать глаз. Очень понравилась вся эта идея с хаками и измениния уровней. Музыка в играх меня не всегда особо впечятлала, да и здесь я не вслушивался, однако она подходила под моменты. Головоломки не из самых трудных, но всё-же интересны. Сам же геймплей просто шикарен, красочно и красиво (разнообразие как таковое имеется). Так же разные варианты прохождения и не одна концовка. Сюжет (хоть и не полностью раскрыт гг но он шикарен) 8/10 Музыка (на самом деле трудно мне оценивать, но..) 7/10 Геймплей 10/10

Pony island has very engaging mechanics when it comes to emulating buggy devil-possessed OS and puzzles are mostly nice. Arcade parts are not very fun, but short and easy, so you won't spent too much time doing them.

This is a super clever game that goes about its satire of other video games in a way that is very over the top and ridiculous but also well thought out. I really enjoyed it and have played through it 3 times now.

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 (:

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.

I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.

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. 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).

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.

A very strange puzzle game. The narrative is a meta-game: the player plays the hacking of a videogame machine in order to escape it (!). The difficulty of the puzzles is low, but not trivial. It is very fascinating though. It will take only a few hours to complete, so it's definitely worth trying it.

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.

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.

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

Amazing game, the game has a very dark story behind, this game broke completely the four wall, and the puzles are so simple and funny at the same moment. The complete review here: ****/analisis-pony-island/ (only in spanish)

The concept of this game is awesome, but look at something like watchdogs, great concept less than amazing execution. So how did this turn out...... absolutely fantastic. It starts slowly luring you into this creepy arcade world and then transforming into a chaotic self aware story with some of the best and most surprising moments I've had this generation. The one problem with this game is how YOU NEED TO GO IN BLIND knowing little to nothing about the story to have the best experience which can be very difficult nowadays. P.S. Long Live Beelzebub

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.

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 **** 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.

I think this game is very creative and original. If you are looking for something that will keep you entertained for 2-3 hours, this game is a good option. The "battle" vs the last boss is the best one I have ever seen, and the game is really cheap. Some parts of the game are not that interesting (mainly tha part when you move the pony), but overall, it´s a great game, and great value for the money

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

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

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.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

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

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 **** 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

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.

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. 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.

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

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 **** you right into the world with its weird characters.

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'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.

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 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.

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 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

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.

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.