Bonkies is a new couch co-op builder game that breathes new life into the couch titles genre. For this review, I played on Steam and used Steam Share to play with a few friends. It’s hard to believe that Bonkies is an indie title by Studio Gauntlet and published by Crunching Koalas. It is crisp and fun to play, with helpful tips sprinkled across the game as you get into more and more complicated puzzles. Thank you Studio Gauntlet for the key to review this new breath on puzzle games.
We played Bonkies via Steam with Steam Share and it was interesting just how well it worked. This was my first interaction with using Steam Share and it went off without a hitch. I had two friends join me who are also not puzzle savants and the fun times ensued. As we tried to learn the new mechanics introduced with each stage or level, we would run into comical situations where good intentions turned into a nightmare. The game has great replayability for a puzzle game because typically your first few tries will be learning the puzzle. Then as you get more familiar, you’ll want to go back and beat the timer to score all the bananas for the world. Each world felt unique with its tasks and there becomes a lot of variety in how you can tackle later puzzles. But let’s be honest, the best and the most fun part is crashing into your teammates and all the chaos that happens while you’re trying to keep the puzzle from tipping over.
UNIQUE ASPECTS
They have a lot of mechanics in the game that challenges even the most imaginative minds. From rocket boosting blocks to glass blocks. Just when you thought you had everything down, they give you a new tool to use, that can either simplify your tactics or make it even more complicated. My favorite was the magnetic block, as it could allow you to pull off previously impossible builds, but just don’t let anyone manage it, because it could all come crashing down quickly. I really enjoyed the cooperative aspect of trying to place things accordingly and having to be in unison with some tasks.
NEGATIVES? NOT REALLY…
There aren’t many negatives to this game, mainly due to it playing very smoothly and being shareable on steam. The only major issue is there seem to be some disconnects between missions, but it doesn’t take too long to get back in. The only other issue was that with steam share, very infrequently would those playing through Steam Share, would lose input.
OVERALL
This is a great new couch co-op game to grab and play with friends. Many of the puzzles are challenging and can give you a healthy dose of stress to beat the clock for those extra bananas. The game gives you a lot of useful tips if you get stuck and I’m sure you’ll see videos on youtube guides for the harder puzzles. The title is out now for only $14.99 and is on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. Overall for the type of game, I would give it a 9/10 as it’s easy to play, easy to learn, and challenges players. It is a wonderful indie title by Studio Gauntlet and published by Crunching Koalas.
