Bonkies – Review

Collaborative games are often fun. Be it typical party titles or innovative games that pave the way for the co-op mode (you know, like A Way Out). Created by Studio Gauntlet, Bonkies is an example of a title where a second controller’s presence is… obligatory.

The idea is simple. We play the role of monkeys working in a construction company. We traverse the planets (and other celestial bodies), leaving buildings gently put together. New regions often unlock new gameplay elements.

Gameplay

Our monkey, selected before each next board, is equipped with a jetpack and a mechanical arm with a powerful magnet. Using the arm, we grab the structure elements and try to fill the shape drawn on the screen with them. You know, like in Asian arcade game shows.

Often folded shapes will only be one of several steps, so the structure’s stability will be put to the test fairly quickly.

We do all of this on time, of course. Faster execution results in a bonus in the form of a banana, which unlocks special boards on the current map, and when the clock shows 0:00, we have to start all over again.

The creators also tried to weave the plot’s seeds into the game, so when we land on Mars, we meet its CEO, which is confusingly similar to Elon Musk. The construction workers he employs (i.e., us, building monkeys in space), for example, have to build the first solar power plant. This is a small detail that adds a humorous element to the game.

Co-op

The game only supports the local cooperation mode. We have access to a minimal number of levels alone, with drastically different levels of difficulty. They can only be treated as a warm-up when we are waiting for the next player.

In Bonkies, however, there will be levels for two players and three levels. As a party game? Cool. A game for the current times? Not really. Even though my children have played games for a long time, Bonkies requires great precision and cooperation on a level higher than that found in Overcooked or other games of this type. Consequently, it was easier to decide to play with a limited squad than to use the kids’ help.

Verdict

Bonkies is a game in which we will enjoy with friends to discover this original and fun concept. But unfortunately, it stops there. The difficulty of certain levels, the absence of secondary objectives, and additional game modes allow us to explore the title in just a few hours.

A PS4 copy of Bonkies has been provided for this review. Bonkies is out now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.