Bridge Constructor

This is a mobile port of an Android game; a clone of the original (free) Bridge Builder title, and it isn't a good one. Let's start with the game versions: 3.98 Euro (to date) on Android if you want the base game without ads plus extension, and consider getting it on another platform. The Android version (for me) isn't worth it though as it contains in-game currency and micro transactions (those, at least, were removed on PC). As a PC game, Bridge Constructor is outclassed across the board by way better alternatives. If you care only for the puzzles and not the graphics, the original "Bridge Builder" is still available. It's free, and comes with more than 100 puzzles to solve. Bonus: You don't have to pay for trains, they are included. If you _do_ care for presentation, Bridge Constructor still can't hold a candle to any of the original PC titles like Bridge Building Game 1 or 2, let alone the later Bridge! 1-3, all of which offer much better graphics, vehicle camera, tanks, trains, ships, more building options to play with, better keyboard + mouse support, AND a level editor: meaning you'll find tons of custom levels online--for free. Bridge Constructor has none of those. Also, the focus in Bridge Constructor is even more on money than in the original. Where the original game used money to record a highscore and (in later iterations) to moderate the level of difficulty, Bridge Constructor is more strict about it, often railroading players into a solution. It would be better if the game had an option to turn that off, for those who don't care about that aspect and just want to build beautiful bridges. Bridge Constructor is just not a good Bridge Building Game. And if after all that you are still on the fence, then the fact that trains are not included in the base game but instead offered as a DLC should tell you everything you need to know.

I ran this on LinuxMint 20 Cinnamon 64-bit. Bridge Constructor version 1.3. It installed, played and performed flawlessly. I returned the game for a refund. I found it too simplistic, casual, and repetitive. I think this is a game for more casual players that want to play fifteen or twenty minutes at a time and come back to it another day. The puzzles did increase in difficulty over time, but it really is the same thing over and over. Also the in game music is really limited. It's probably less than a thirty second loop. Turn off and listen to your own selection of music. If you are a casual game player that likes to work hard on puzzles you'll like this.

The game is an obvious ripoff of the Pontifex / Bridge Builder titles. Even the name of the series sounds like Bridge Builder, so I wonder why there were no lawsuits. With this being said, the game does have one selling point, which is bringing the bridge building gerne to modern systems, including mobile phones and iOS. As for the game itself: Pros: - lots of bridge building puzzles for a couple of hours - low price - beginner friendly (mobile phone audience) - a few days worth of playtime if you really want to finish all levels (incl. DLCs) Cons: - gets repetitive pretty quickly. There are only about 4 techniques to build a bridge utilizing either hard materials (wood or steel) and cable. Everything else is just fine-tuning and adjusting to the map. - going for the highscore means abusing game glitches. Vehicles always go from the left side of the screen and just need to arrive on the right side regardless in which condition, even an exploded gas truck counts as long as both the car and cargo reach the goal line. Mixed: TLDR: get it if you need to pass time on your Mac work machine. Otherwise, try to find a copy/download of Bridge Builder 2 somewhere. It has much more material to build with, weather effects, different varieties of vehicles and better graphics.

In nearly all the scenarios it is quite easy to build a bridge that works, as long as you apply the structural engineering knowledge you aquire as you progress. There are still likely to be a few that cause you difficulty, as is the nature of puzzle games, but you can generally get a good sense of achievement and progress. As such, you'll probably get through all the puzzles quite quickly but there is plenty more scope in trying to optimise your designs. Depending on how obsessive you are, that could take two or three times longer than 'just' making something that works.