Explore branching levels, fight quirky bosses, and save the day in a new retro platformer from HOF Studios

Polyroll, the roly poly with attitude, uses his super shell to spin, bounce, roll, and ricochet across the land on a mission to save his friends from the clutches of the evil Kaiser Kiwi. Polyroll’s colorful bug-themed world is infused with retro charm inspired by classic platformers and chock full of inventive hazards and enemies. Eleven insane bosses stand between the hero and his friends, including a crazed stoplight, haywire appliances, and a giant spider stuck in a computer case. With locked-away paths and 96 hidden gems, there will be plenty of incentive to revisit the game’s levels to uncover branching paths and secret areas.

Polyroll was initially conceived as a Sonic fan game in 2010, and then later expanded into a full game with unique mechanics. “When we first released Polyroll on iOS in 2012, it had been a really long time since a 2D Sonic-inspired game had been released,” says developer Justin Craig. In 2018, a PC version was showcased at the Sonic Amateur Game Expo, where it was a surprise hit.

Instead of copying directly from Sonic’s playbook, Developer Spicy Gyro Games knew that mixing the familiar with new ideas was key to hooking new players. “Everyone always associates Sonic games with speed, but I thought there was more to explore with the ball mechanic,” explains Craig, a long-time fan of classic platformers. “It completely changes how you think about movement when you can ricochet off of any wall in the level, not just bumpers and springs.”

Together with HOF Studios and Shiny Dolphin Games, Polyroll was completely remastered for the new release. Along with reworking the pixel-art, they added five new levels, a new boss, and even more hidden collectibles into the new release to make it even better. Additionally, the game features updated controls and tweaks that will please both the fans of both the original game and players of pixel-perfect platformers alike.