Bad Piggies
A physics-based puzzle spinoff starring the green pigs.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Bad Piggies, a puzzle video game from Rovio Entertainment, came out in 2012 as a spinoff of the Angry Birds series. Instead of featuring the birds, it puts the green pigs in the spotlight. Players must build custom vehicles from a selection of objects to get a pig to the finish line. Each level can be solved in multiple ways, and there are optional extra goals that reward different approaches. A sandbox mode is also included, where players can construct any vehicle they like without restrictions.
The game relies on physics-based puzzles. The green pigs, familiar from earlier Angry Birds titles, are trying to steal the birds' eggs, but their plans get torn apart by a fan and scattered across different areas. Players recover these plan pieces by completing levels. Each level provides a set of attachable items—like crates, wheels, bellows, balloons, umbrellas, soft drink bottles, and coil springs—with more unlocking as the game goes on. These objects must be arranged on a square grid to build a vehicle that carries the pig to the finish line. There is no single correct solution, so players must figure out their own. A "Hire a Mechanic" button lets a mechanic pig build a vehicle for the player instead.
Each object behaves differently when triggered: fans can be toggled on or off, TNT boxes can be detonated, and balloons can be popped to lower height. Vehicles may break apart while moving, which ejects the pig, and levels must be restarted manually if the player gets stuck. Three goals per level earn stars: one for simply clearing the level, and two others that vary, such as finishing within a time limit, collecting crates, or building a vehicle without using a specific object.
The sandbox mode provides large, open environments for free vehicle construction. An extra sandbox level becomes available by collecting hidden skulls in other levels. Updates after launch added more content; in February 2015, a sandbox level with icy surfaces called "Little Pig Adventure" was introduced, along with the gearbox, which lets vehicles move backward. Bad Piggies works with the Everyplay app for recording and watching replays. The iOS version also supports Apple's Game Center for achievements and comparing progress with friends.
The game launched on September 27, 2012, for Android, iOS, and OS X. Later ports came to Windows 8, Windows Phone, and personal computers. Focus Mu
- developer
- Rovio Entertainment
- initial_release_date
- September 27, 2012
- platforms
- Android, iOS, OS X, Windows 8, Windows Phone, personal computers
- genre
- Physics-based puzzle video game
- downloads
- 100 million (as of February 2015)
- metacritic_score
- Generally favorable (iOS version, based on 24 critic reviews)
Lore & Background
Bad Piggies is a physics-based puzzle game revolving around the green pigs from previous Angry Birds games. The pigs aim to steal the Angry Birds' eggs, but their plans are shredded in a fan and become scattered. Thus, the pieces must be recovered by finding them in areas divided into levels. In each level, the player is provided with a set of attachable objects such as crates, wheels, bellows, balloons, umbrellas, soft drink bottles, and coil springs, with more being unlocked as the game progresses. The objects provided must be arranged on a square grid to construct a custom vehicle that can guide the pig to the finish line and recover pieces of the plan. There is no set solution for each level, so the player must come up with one themself. Alternatively, the player can press a 'Hire a Mechanic' button to have a mechanic pig build a vehicle for them.
Each object comes with different behaviours that can be triggered by the player; for instance, fans can be toggled, boxes of TNT can be detonated, and balloons can be popped to decrease height. Vehicles can break apart while active, and the pig will be ejected if it does; levels must be manually restarted if the player gets stuck. Levels have three goals that can be achieved to earn stars; the first is achieved by clearing the level, while the latter two vary from reaching the finish line within a time limit, collecting crates, or excluding a select object from the vehicle. Bad Piggies additionally includes a sandbox mode, which contains large open environments where players can freely build any custom vehicle. An extra sandbox level can be unlocked by collecting skulls hidden throughout other levels. More content was introduced to Bad Piggies after its launch via updates; in February 2015, a sandbox level featuring icy surfaces titled 'Little Pig Adventure' was added alongside the gearbox, which allows vehicles to travel backwards.
Reader's Guide
Bad Piggies was released for Android, iOS, and OS X on September 27, 2012. Ports for Windows 8, Windows Phone, and personal computers followed after; the Windows and computer versions were published by Focus Multimedia in October for £10.20, while Rovio Entertainment released the Windows Phone version in April 2014. In February 2015, Bad Piggies reached 100 million downloads. A counterfeit app titled Bad Pigs was released on May 25, 2013, and received over 10,000 downloads. On June 12, it was delisted from Google Play for containing malware.
According to the review aggregation website Metacritic, the iOS version of Bad Piggies was received as 'generally favorable' based on 24 critic reviews. Critics praised its differences from other Angry Birds games but criticised its high difficulty. Eli Hodapp, writing for TouchArcade, gave it a 5-star rating and praised its accessibility. Justin Davis from IGN considered the design 'impeccable' and called it 'the best title Rovio has released yet'. Jason Parker from CNET stated that Bad Piggies is 'much more challenging than the Angry Birds variations you're used to'. Mark Brown for Pocket Gamer gave Bad Piggies a Silver Award, stating the game is 'creative, addictive, and absolutely packed with content'. Chris Plante from Polygon criticised the main campaign but heavily preferred the sandbox levels. Three people covered Bad Piggies for VentureBeat, with scores ranging from 75 to 90 out of 100.
A sequel, titled Bad Piggies 2, was conceptualised between 2018 and 2019. Concept art depicted an outer space setting and a playing card system, but the concept was quickly abandoned. In 2021, Bad Piggies 2 was announced via three advertisements on TikTok. In 2023, it was soft launched in select European countries for Android and iOS devices.
Did You Know?
- Bad Piggies was initially released on September 27, 2012.
- A counterfeit app titled Bad Pigs was delisted from Google Play on June 12, 2013 for containing malware.
- In February 2015, a sandbox level titled 'Little Pig Adventure' was added alongside the gearbox.
- A sequel, Bad Piggies 2, was soft launched in 2023 in select European countries.
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