Pony Island 2: Panda Circus
Release Date: 2026
Puzzle, FPP, horror, 2D, adventure elements, arcade elements, indie games, experimental/artistic, Surrealism, singleplayer
A phantasmagorical journey through time, myth, divinity and video games and a sequel to Pony Island by Daniel Mullins. Playing as a young nomad, the player must escape the deities of an underworld prison while staying sane and keeping their soul intact.
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus is an unusual combination of an adventure game, arcade game, puzzle game and phantasmagorical horror. It's the next installment in the Pony Island series by Daniel Mullins Games - also known for The Hex and Inscryption.
Plot
As the author points out, the game doesn't actually have anything to do with ponies. The new protagonist is a young, confident nomad desiring world domination. Premature death foils his plans and condemns him to The Earth Prison. Now the protagonist must escape the deities of the underworld trying to claim his soul.
Mechanics
Like the first game, Panda Circus is set in an unusual world, mixing mechanics of various genres. There are puzzle sections (reminiscent of hacking and programming), arcade sections, combat and exploration.
The protagonist aims to protect his soul from the inhabitants of The Earth Prison while staying sane. While traversing disturbing, phantasmagoric lands, he must bargain with eccentric deities ruling this land. To escape with his sanity intact, he must complete their games or exploit their rules, with nothing but a steed, a pendrive and his wits.
Technical aspects
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus features experimental, often changing graphics. We'll witness 3D first-person areas, as well as 2D pixel art areas, side-scrolling or top-down. The game also introduces many elements tied to Asian culture and art. The disturbing 8-bit-like audio builds the horrifying atmosphere further.
Videos and Screens
[1:30] Pony Island 2: Panda Circus Pony Island 2: Panda Circus - Announcement Trailer
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
Developer: Daniel Mullins Games
Publisher: Daniel Mullins Games
Age restrictions: 16+
Pony Island 2: Panda Circus System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5-760 2.8 GHz / AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 3 GB GeForce GTX 550 Ti / 1 GB Radeon HD 6850 or better, 4 GB HDD, Windows 7
Recommended: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2 GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 1050 / 4 GB Radeon RX 460 or better, 4 GB HDD, Windows 10
Pony Island 2 is the Next Game From Creator of Inscryption
At The Game Awards, the creator of the excellent Inscryption announced his next project, which turned out to be Pony Island 2: Panda Circus.
video games
Adrian Werner
December 7, 2023