Info about Poly Bridge 2:

Official game description:
The acclaimed bridge-building simulator is back and better than ever!
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New levels, new mechanics, a custom physics engine, workshop campaigns, and much more! Rediscover your engineering creativity with even more hours of puzzling fun!  
Adrian Talens returns with a new full-length Soundtrack! Relax to the soothing and critically acclaimed music with 13 completely new tracks plus 18 of the original Poly Bridge songs remastered! Enjoy over an hour and a half of the familiar and gentle acoustic guitar rhythms.  
Take on levels with some added cushion and bounce your way to victory with the new Spring material. Now your bridges can be even more flexible!  
We went above and beyond this time, crafting a custom physics engine optimized and fine-tuned specifically for bridge simulations. Accurate and predictable, it guarantees the same simulation outcome for everyone, keeping the competitive aspect of the game alive!  
Compete against other players in the new separate general and unbreaking leaderboards! Leaderboard entries are verified on submission to ensure a fair experience for all players.  
Build bridges with your favourite streamer! The Poly Bridge 2 Twitch Extension allows viewers and streamers to work together; viewers can design and submit bridges directly to their favourite streamer for them to test in-game! Learn more at  
Create unique levels from scratch and submit them to the in-game Workshop with an improved Sandbox level designer with new objects, customizable ramps, and over twenty vehicles to choose from! Show off your creativity, make your own puzzles, and find an endless variety of levels made by other players!  
Group and order your workshop levels together in the new Workshop Campaigns! Design entire campaign worlds including multiple levels with a common theme and difficulty progression. We've also included over 100 original Poly Bridge levels to replay in the Workshop Campaigns section of the in-game Workshop!  
*   First Break Indicator: When your bridge is falling down it can be tough to see where it all goes wrong. Diagnose and fix problems easily with this new simple tool that highlights the first piece broken.  
*   3-Way Split Joints: Drawbridges and hydraulic contraptions can now be enhanced with 3-way split joints. Employ complex moving designs into your bridge with multiple moving parts.  
*   Higher Resolution Video Replays: Record high-resolution video replays to show your funny and crazy failures and amazing successes with your friends or on social media. Share your bridges with the world!

Release date: May 28, 2020

Categories: Physics Simulation, Puzzle Solving, Engineering Simulation, Sandbox Creation, Level Editor, User-Generated Content, Educational Game, Relaxing Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users find the game valuable and worth purchasing, especially at discounted prices. Several reviews mention that the game is worth buying at lower prices, such as €2.49 or £5, indicating that the community perceives the fair price to be lower than the current base price of $14.99. The repeated mentions of purchasing the game on sale and finding it worth the price at those lower points support a fair price range that is more affordable.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 32.9h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 189.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct mentions of playtime hours. One user mentions spending about 32.9 hours to complete the game and unlock all achievements, indicating a typical `gameCompletion` time. Another user played for 35 hours without playing anything else, suggesting a high engagement level but not necessarily completion. The mention of 1,324 hours is likely an outlier or cumulative time over a long period, including endgame content. The user with 189 hours of playtime also suggests extensive engagement, likely including endgame content. There is no specific evidence for typical single-session lengths, so `sessionLength` is set to `null`.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Poly Bridge 2 starts with a friction-filled tutorial but becomes more enjoyable as players progress through increasingly complex levels.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Progression through complex levels
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Insufficient tutorial; Lack of clear explanations
  - Unlock drivers: Skill improvement; Complex challenges
  - Conditions: Patience with initial learning curve; Enjoyment of problem-solving and engineering tasks
- Player Archetypes:
  - Engineering Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of engineering and puzzle-solving challenges.
    - Playstyle: Strategic and thoughtful, focusing on building efficient and effective bridges.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: engineering enthusiasts; puzzle lovers
    - Reference games: Poly Bridge 1
  - Casual Relaxer (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and casual enjoyment.
    - Playstyle: Casual and relaxed, playing the game at their own pace.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual players
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Challenged Newcomer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Overcoming challenges and improving skills.
    - Playstyle: Struggling with mechanics and seeking gradual improvement.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: newcomers
    - Reference games: Angry Birds


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Enjoyable and fun gameplay (weight 0.79): Many players found the game enjoyable and fun, with some highlighting the fun despite the challenges and others appreciating the relaxing nature of the game.
- Creative and challenging gameplay (weight 0.46): The game offers creative and challenging gameplay mechanics that are both enjoyable and rewarding. Players appreciate the artistic and creative aspects of the game.
- New features and improvements (weight 0.38): The game has added new features and improvements over the first game, including additional challenges, improved editor, and new visuals and sounds.
- Realistic physics and bridge-building (weight 0.32): The game features realistic physics and bridge-building mechanics, providing an accurate and consistent physics engine that enhances the gameplay experience.
- Educational and skill-building (weight 0.31): Players noted that the game is educational about bridge building and helps improve engineering skills and confidence in infrastructure engineering design.
- Relaxing and stress-relieving (weight 0.21): The game is noted for its relaxing nature and ability to help relieve stress, with pleasant visuals and music contributing to this effect.
- Addictive and engaging (weight 0.19): Players find the game addictive and engaging, with high replay value and brilliant design that keeps them coming back.
- Sandbox and creative modes (weight 0.18): The sandbox mode offers unlimited resources and an open canvas for experimentation, appealing to those who enjoy creative freedom in bridge design.
- Variety of levels and challenges (weight 0.16): The game offers a wide variety of levels and challenges, catering to different levels of players and providing new challenges with each level.
- Good graphics and visuals (weight 0.1): The game is praised for its good graphics and pleasant visuals, contributing to the overall enjoyable experience.

Common complaints:
- Game is very difficult (weight 0.41): Many players find the game extremely challenging, with levels described as tricky, hard, and complicated. The difficulty is a common theme across various stages.
- Poor tutorialization (weight 0.34): The tutorials are criticized for being inadequate and not explanatory enough. Players feel that the game does not teach essential mechanics well, such as building bridges or using hydraulics.
- Bridges collapse frequently (weight 0.19): A common issue is that bridges frequently collapse, even when players put in significant effort. This can be disappointing and painful for players.
- Game is expensive (weight 0.15): Several players mention that the game is expensive, with a high cost of materials and an overall price tag that some feel is not justified.
- Limited number of levels (weight 0.13): Players note that there are fewer levels compared to the first game, which can make the game feel less substantial.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.11): The game has a steep learning curve, especially for newcomers who are unfamiliar with engineering concepts. This can make the game difficult to get into.
- Lack of mechanical feedback (weight 0.07): The game does not display important mechanical feedback, such as whether beams are in compression or tension, or show bending moments and shear forces for the bridge.
- Game can be repetitive (weight 0.07): Some players find the game to be repetitive, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.

Gameplay feedback:
- Physics-based bridge building (weight 0.54): The game focuses heavily on bridge building mechanics with realistic physics. Players can use various materials and techniques to design and construct bridges, simulating real-life engineering challenges.
- Variety of materials and techniques (weight 0.31): Players can experiment with different materials such as wood, steel, and cables. The game encourages learning and using new techniques to solve construction challenges.
- Engineering puzzles and challenges (weight 0.28): The game includes a variety of engineering puzzles that require players to solve physics-based challenges. These puzzles often involve car-based mechanics and require creative solutions.
- Progression and achievement system (weight 0.22): The game includes a rewarding progression system with increasing difficulty and achievements. Players can advance through levels and campaigns, unlocking new challenges.
- Infrastructure engineering design (weight 0.19): Players face structural engineering challenges, including testing bridge designs under financial and material limitations. This adds a layer of realism and strategy to the gameplay.
- Community-created content (weight 0.19): The game supports community-created content, allowing players to create and share their own levels and designs. This enhances replayability and community engagement.
- Official and custom levels (weight 0.18): Players can enjoy a variety of official levels and also create their own custom levels. This provides a mix of structured challenges and creative freedom.
- Humorous and complex bridge-building (weight 0.16): The game features bridge-building with cartoony and humorous physics, allowing players to create complex structures like rotating bridges.
- Educational aspects of engineering (weight 0.08): The game has educational aspects related to engineering, teaching players about material properties, structural integrity, and physics-based solutions.
- Comparison to predecessor (weight 0.07): Players have noted comparisons to the first game in the series, highlighting improvements and differences in gameplay mechanics and features.

Performance notes:
- Runs well on low-end PCs (weight 0.2): The game is noted for its ability to run smoothly on older and lower-end systems, often referred to as 'potato PCs'.
- Bug fixes and stability improvements (weight 0.08): Players have noticed improvements in the game's stability and bug fixes, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- Easy to Alt-Tab (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the ease of switching between the game and other applications using Alt-Tab.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.15): The game is highly recommended for its emotional depth and is suggested for a wide audience.
- Recommended for puzzle lovers (weight 0.11): This game is ideal for those who enjoy puzzle games, particularly those with a focus on physics.
- Recommended for bridge building enthusiasts (weight 0.08): The game is suggested for fans of bridge building and is considered an improvement over its predecessor.
- Worth the price (weight 0.08): Many reviews indicate that the game is worth buying at its current price point.
- Play the first game (weight 0.08): Players recommend checking out the first game in the series if you haven't played it already.
- Buy on sale (weight 0.08): Some reviews suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game.
- Chill and relaxing game (weight 0.05): The game is highly recommended for those looking for a chill and relaxing experience.
- Not for simpler game fans (weight 0.04): The game may not be suitable for those who prefer simpler or less frustrating games.
- Recommended for engineers (weight 0.04): The game is suggested for engineers or those with free time to dedicate to it.
- Suitable for all ages (weight 0.04): The game is considered suitable for kids, teens, and adults.

Other player notes:
- Requires engineering knowledge (weight 0.05): The game seems to demand a certain level of engineering knowledge, which might make it less accessible to players without that background.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Players are frustrated primarily due to the game's high difficulty and steep learning curve. The lack of adequate tutorials and unclear mechanics, particularly around hydraulics and bridge stability, exacerbates this frustration. Additionally, the game's repetitive nature, unexpected solutions, and the mental strain from comparing with top-ranked players contribute to the overall frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.17): Players enjoy the game's creative and challenging bridge-building mechanics. The fun and relaxing nature of the game, along with the ability to test different bridge designs and share them with the community, adds to the enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Players find satisfaction in the game's educational value and the freedom it offers in building bridges. The improvements over the first game, such as the removal of RNG and consistency in builds, along with the game's soundtrack and overall gameplay experience, contribute to this sense of satisfaction.
- Joy (weight 0.11): Players experience joy from the building and creative aspects of the game. The enjoyment of making complex bridge designs and the fun, relaxing gameplay contribute to this joy. Additionally, the emotional attachment to bridge designs and the enjoyment of watching others play add to the overall positive experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.07): Players find amusement in the humorous scenarios and creative gameplay techniques. The fun in seeing bridges collapse and the humorous take on engineering contribute to this amusement. Additionally, watching others' creative solutions and competitive gameplay on social media adds to the overall amusement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.04): Players feel disappointed due to the game's fewer levels and repetitive gameplay compared to the previous version. The shift in gameplay focus and the interface issues contribute to this disappointment. Additionally, the feeling of emptiness and the game's price add to the overall disappointment.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the game's challenging and addictive nature. The interesting puzzles and engaging gameplay, along with the improved physics engine, contribute to this excitement.
- Pride (weight 0.02): Players feel proud of their creative and unconventional bridge designs. The personal achievement and enjoyment, along with the feeling of being talented in design, contribute to this pride.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's endless Workshop fun and additional challenges. The excellent gameplay and high replayability contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Relaxation (weight 0.01): Players feel relaxed due to the game's casual nature and background music. The gameplay experience and the mood set by the music contribute to this relaxation.}