Item: Poly Bridge
Rating: 94
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

Dinsun here. I rarely give scores in the 80s, but Poly Bridge earns it. This isn't just a puzzle game; it's a genuine physics toy. The mechanics of tension and compression are modeled well enough that actual engineering principles apply. When your bridge collapses because you forgot to cross-brace a steel strut, you don't blame the game, you blame your design. That level of accountability is rare and highly satisfying.

Translating a PC mouse-driven interface to a touchscreen is always tricky, and the mobile port does a commendable job, though placing precise hydraulic joints on a smaller phone screen can induce some mild swearing. The art style is clean and low-poly, which keeps the focus entirely on the mechanics. It’s a game that respects your intelligence, punishes your oversights, and provides a massive sense of accomplishment when a bus barely squeaks across your horrifying, swaying contraption.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Excellent, predictable physics engine
Encourages genuine problem-solving and creativity
Clean aesthetic and relaxing acoustic soundtrack

UI can be fiddly on smaller phone screens
Difficulty spikes sharply in later worlds
Requires trial-and-error which can frustrate some

Technical Report

Performance: Physics calculations can occasionally drop frame rates on very old devices during catastrophic bridge failures.

Accessibility:

Grid snapping
Undo/Redo functions

Audience Fit

Buy if: You like STEM puzzles, engineering, physics simulators, and logic challenges.

Skip if: You get frustrated easily by trial-and-error or hate math.

Similar Games:

Bridge Constructor
World of Goo
Besiege

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative gamer
Hardware: iPad Pro
Playtime: 25 hours
Status: Finished main campaign

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

1197552569

$1.99 4+★4.8 17809 reviews

Author : Dry Cactus

Pubish Date : Tue Jun 13 2017

Last Update Date : Tue Nov 21 2017

Support Languages : English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese

Genres :

Version 1.2.2Tue Nov 21 2017

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
* iPhone X improvements
* Bug and crash fixes
Poly Bridge, the hit indie bridge-building physics title with dozens of hours of gameplay.
"A must play for anyone interested in puzzle games." - TheGamingReview
* 105 Campaign Levels
* Sandbox
* 22 Achievements
* Hydraulic Pistons
* Moving Drawbridges
* Swings, Jumps, and Classic Bridges
Unleash your engineering creativity with an engaging and fresh bridge-building simulator with all the bells and whistles! Play the fully featured campaign with 100+ levels of challenging physics puzzles or make your own puzzles and bridge designs in the Sandbox.
Success begins by getting cars to their destinations by any means; build suspensions, ramps and jumps, double-deckers, moving drawbridges, and much more. Complete every level under budget and with a sturdy, unbreaking bridge, to become a Poly Bridge Master Engineer... and unlock the secret world.
Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (9.7‑inch), iPad Pro (9.7‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th generation), iPad (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5‑inch), iPad Pro (10.5‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch), iPad Pro (11‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation), iPad (7th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Air (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (8th generation), iPad (8th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation), iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th generation), iPad (9th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2), iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M2), iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16), iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3), iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5), iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (6th generation), and iPod touch (7th generation).
Build something crazy!
Poly Bridge, the hit indie bridge-building physics title with dozens of hours of gameplay.
"A must play for anyone interested in puzzle games." - TheGamingReview
* 105 Campaign Levels
* Sandbox
* 22 Achievements
* Hydraulic Pistons
* Moving Drawbridges
* Swings, Jumps, and Classic Bridges
Unleash your engineering creativity with an engaging and fresh bridge-building simulator with all the bells and whistles! Play the fully featured campaign with 100+ levels of challenging physics puzzles or make your own puzzles and bridge designs in the Sandbox.
Success begins by getting cars to their destinations by any means; build suspensions, ramps and jumps, double-deckers, moving drawbridges, and much more. Complete every level under budget and with a sturdy, unbreaking bridge, to become a Poly Bridge Master Engineer... and unlock the secret world.

Ratings & Reviews

4.8 out of 5 with 17809 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Unleash your engineering creativity with Poly Bridge, the acclaimed bridge-building simulator! Experience hours of physics-based puzzle solving with over 100 levels of campaign play. You'll need to build bridges for cars, trucks, and even monster trucks while managing limited budgets and materials like wood, steel, and hydraulics. Will your bridge hold, or will it come crashing down? With a beautiful low-poly art style and a relaxing soundtrack, Poly Bridge is the perfect blend of challenge and fun.

Features

100+ Campaign levels

Realistic physics engine

Hydraulics for complex moving bridges

Sandbox mode for free building

Stress visualization tools

Chilled acoustic soundtrack

Multiple bridge materials (Wood, Steel, Cable)

Tips

Building Your First Structure

Start by selecting the 'Wood' tool and drawing lines between the anchor points. Always use triangles for maximum stability! Once your bridge spans the gap, hit the 'Play' icon to test it. If the bridge turns red, it’s under too much stress. Go back to 'Edit' mode and reinforce those areas with steel or adjust your geometry.

Promotion Videos

Poly Bridge Official Trailer - YouTube

News on this game

Build even more bridges with Poly Bridge 3

Indie New Zealand studio Dry Cactus has announced that Poly Bridge 3 is out now for PC (Windows, Mac, and Linux) on Steam, for $19.99.

Pixelkin - Sat Jul 29 2023

Dry Cactus announces Poly Bridge 3, launching May 30th.

Poly Bridge 3 will be released on May 30th for Windows, Mac and Linux via Steam. To celebrate the announcement, Dry Cactus will also be offering the first two...

Games Press - Sat Apr 29 2023

Poly Bridge (Switch) Review

Poly Bridge is a physics based puzzle game where the goal is to construct a bridge strong enough to transport a vehicle from one side to the other without...

Nintendo World Report - Mon Jan 29 2018

Poly Bridge 2 — There’s a reason I didn’t go into architecture

Poly Bridge 2 asks the player to build a bridge (or sometimes something mildly bridge-related) that will hold up the vehicles going over it.

Big Boss Battle - Sat Aug 29 2020

Q&A: Alan Lawrance from Dry Cactus on the importance of playful minimalism and having an active community for Poly Bridge 3

Ahead of the release of physics puzzler Poly Bridge 3, we fired over some questions to technical director Alan Lawrance, hopefully to build...

mcv/develop - Sat Jul 29 2023

Poly Bridge Review

Poly Bridge is a title that will thrill those who enjoy the genre - it has very few flaws and a lot of playability. Cute, creative and challenging.

GameGrin - Mon Aug 29 2016

Poly Bridge Review (PC)

Poly Bridge works as two different types of games. On one hand, it's an unassuming and adorable puzzle game filled with pleasant music and a charming aesthetic.

Hey Poor Player - Thu Sep 29 2016

How Poly Bridge is constructing a viral hit

Dry Cactus on Reddit fame and what makes architecture simulation somehow so fascinating.

Red Bull - Mon Aug 29 2016

Poly Bridge 2 review: Trussing the process

Developer Dry Cactus returns again to ask players to trust in the triangle with Poly Bridge 2. Our review.

Shacknews - Mon Jun 29 2020

Physics be damned, go build some crazy stuff in Poly Bridge 3

Dry Cactus have now released Poly Bridge 3, the latest in their multi-million selling physics-based bridge-building puzzle game series and it looks to be the...

GamingOnLinux - Sat Jul 29 2023

Gameplays

Campaign and Sandbox Modes

Progress through a structured campaign that introduces new mechanics like hydraulics for drawbridges and jumps. Once you've mastered the basics, head into Sandbox mode to create your own puzzles or build the most complex structures imaginable without budget constraints. Share your funniest failures as GIFs with the community!