Thank you Studio Gauntlet for sending us this game to review!

Building in space is challenging but necessary for colonization. Monkeys are more than willing to assist and the best part is that they’ll happily work for bananas. Later in the game, you’ll unlock other creatures like dogs, koalas, cats, and more.

No matter which animal you play as, they all have the same mechanical arm and awkward controls. With the giant arm you can grab onto various objects and use your jetpack for some added oomph. Though you can play this game solo, it’s intended and much more fun with companions.

Each planet (or moon) has several levels that you can play in any order. Before you start each level you can choose and name your champion. The three letter name of your character can change the gameplay; for example, if you name your character LOL, they’ll appear as a giant beach ball. For an added challenge, you can name your character OFF and make the mechanical arm limp and more difficult to use.

Once you enter the game, the clock will start ticking and various shapes will come out of conveyor belts on either side of the screen. Your job is to fit the shapes into the outline and keep them in place for three seconds to make it count. There are multiple stages where the puzzles get more challenging along the way. You have a limited amount of time and if you finish with a decent amount left over on the clock, you’ll earn a banana. Bananas are used to unlock new characters. You’ll get token items without bananas, but you can always replay a level to try and earn the cooler stuff.

The items come out in various materials and some are more durable than others. Glass ones can break, but sometimes they’re easier to work with in multiple pieces! Heavier objects require teamwork and accuracy to maneuver and place properly. Later in the game you’ll get to work with explosive nuclear fusion cubes.

Bonkies is pretty family-friendly and has some mild cartoon violence. It is possible to temporarily knock out your friends if blocks are accidentally dropped on their heads. Thankfully, there’s no blood or gore to be seen. On a positive note, you can high-five them as well.

Aesthetically, Bonkies is very cute with adorable characters and gibberish voice acting. The planets and building sites are colorful and nicely detailed. The background music is relaxing which is good for this stress-inducing title.

Though I’m not big on timed puzzles, I can see others enjoying this game more than me. I prefer relaxing games and Bonkies is definitely not that! If you enjoy party and puzzle games and have people to play with, Bonkies is worth checking out! Playing solo is still an option; it’s just not nearly as fun.