Pony Island
Genre: Psychological Horror / Puzzle | Developer: Daniel Mullins Games | Release Date: 01/04/2016 | Steam Rating: 95% positive | Price: €3.99 | Link to Steam page: Pony Island on Steam
A game about a pony. Really? No. Not at all.
Because Pony Island is another game where you shouldn’t judge too quickly just because you’ve seen one or two screenshots.
If you think that the cute name hides a cute game that makes the hearts of young girls soar as they fulfill their rider dream on an island full of ponies – you are horribly mistaken.
Pony Island begins rather unspectacularly: You actually play a little pony and must, like in an old arcade classic, jump over obstacles to complete the level. This goes on for a while, but at some point, a feeling creeps in that something is not right. The actions in the game are accompanied by completely exaggerated words. A single accomplished jump earns repeated “Wow!” or “360 no scope!”
Someone in this game is messing with the player. Additionally, you gradually find strange entries in the menu. For example, in the music settings, you can find the entry “Ominous Buzz,” which cannot be changed.
After a supposed “Game Over,” the phrase “Insert your soul to continue” briefly appears.
Pony Island is nothing less than a ruthless battle against the princes of hell themselves, who have snuck into a slot machine to claim the souls of players.
The whole game is so brilliantly programmed and so insidious that it even manipulates the player in front of the screen.
My favorite example: At some point in the game, a notification appears to pay close attention to get a specific password. At the same time, however, you are getting messaged on Steam by a friend from your friends list who has an urgent, important message – which is, of course, “faked” by Pony Island.
This is just one of the countless moments when the game breaks the “4th wall” and ensnares you in a way that many AAA titles can never achieve.
