I went into the Monkey Do! playtest expecting a goofy 3D platformer, and I left with that exact vibe plus a surprise side of stealth and sabotage. You play as Mak, a mischievous monkey trying to bust out of a run-down zoo that has been taken over by robot “Keepers” and the Tropico family.
In this playtest, I got to tackle the first habitat, the Wetlands, and it did a great job selling the game’s core loop: explore, climb everything, dodge trouble, and scoop up collectibles while the zoo slowly turns into chaos.
Graphics
If you’re trying to pin down what “kind” of graphics Monkey Do! uses, I’d call it stylized, cartoony 3D with a bright, colorful palette and chunky shapes. The characters and environments look intentionally simplified in a way that fits the tone: playful, readable, and built for platforming. That matches how the game is presented and tagged on Steam (cartoony, colorful, stylized).
It also helps the game feel like a throwback without copying any one era directly. The Wetlands habitat especially pops because everything is easy to read at a glance, which matters when you’re mid-jump, mid-climb, or panicking because a robot is stomping around nearby.
Story and Characters
In Monkey Do!, Mak’s escape plan isn’t just “run to the exit.” The Steam description hints at bigger stakes, with the zoo’s owners and their robotic Keepers escalating security as Mak pushes closer to freedom.
The playtest mostly teases that larger story. I caught a small glimpse of the antagonist side of things after beating the first level, but I didn’t get the full who, what, and why yet, which honestly made me more curious.
What did shine right away were the habitat characters. The Wetlands introduced a few memorable faces, like Spenser the vending machine (your item hookup) and Lili the hippopotamus, who helps you move forward in the escape. Their interactions with Mak were charming, and the humor landed without getting in the way of momentum.
Platforming
The platforming is the highlight. There are lots of ways to move through the level, and the Wetlands does a good job mixing traversal types so it never feels like you’re doing the same jump for ten minutes straight. You’re climbing trees, boxes, rocks, poles, and more, then stringing it all together to either escape danger or set up a smarter route through the area.
Steam also calls out movement variety like climbing, monkey bars, and ziplines, and that checks out with how the playtest plays.
Stealth, Combat, and Progression
One of the cooler surprises is how much Monkey Do! leans into stealth and sabotage. Hiding in tall grass and sneaking around objects is a real part of the loop, not just a tutorial gimmick.
The wrench also seems like it’ll be central to progression. The Steam page frames it as upgradeable and tied to dismantling Keepers and earning scrap, and the playtest hints at that “unlock tools to open new paths” structure.
In the full game, I’m expecting this to be the glue that ties everything together: platforming to reach new zones, stealth to survive patrol routes, wrench upgrades to open doors and mess with security, and animal quests to push the escape plan forward.
Enemies
My biggest gameplay gripe is that the playtest didn’t show much enemy variety. I only ran into two enemy types:
- A robotic ranger that patrols and tries to catch you with a net
- A big dumpster robot that attacks you
They work fine as early obstacles, but by the end of the Wetlands I was ready to see something new. The good news is the Steam description suggests “different types of robot Keepers and security systems,” so I’m hoping later habitats deliver on that promise with more enemy behaviors and at least a couple of boss-style encounters.
Controls
This is the area that needs the most polish.
Grabbing onto specific objects felt inconsistent, and that led to a handful of frustrating deaths that didn’t feel like my fault. Rope slides were the worst for me: I often had to stop, inch forward, and hope Mak finally latched on. Monkey bars had similar issues. Flag poles and vines also didn’t always grab reliably when jumping mid-air from another object.
Even with unlimited lives in the playtest, it slowed the game down. The best platformers let you flow, and right now Monkey Do! sometimes forces you into a cautious shuffle when you should be flying through the level.
If the devs tighten grab detection and add a bit more forgiveness, the whole game instantly feels better. This is the kind of fix that can take Monkey Do! from “fun but janky” to “one more run, I swear.”
Collectibles
Collectibles are a big win in the playtest. The Wetlands had two types to hunt down: posters and balloons. There were 15 of each, and I had a good time combing through the habitat to find them.
None of the placements felt unfair, and they encouraged exploring side paths without turning into a pixel-hunt. I’d love to see each habitat remix the collectible idea a bit, whether that’s different totals, trickier placements, or habitat-specific collectible types.
Steam Deck Performance
The Monkey Do! playtest ran great on the Steam Deck during my short playthrough. Controls mapped well, and I didn’t hit any performance issues that ruined the experience. The playtest didn’t offer many graphics settings, but the game doesn’t seem overly demanding anyway. It already feels like a strong “Steam Deck platformer” candidate, and it’s absolutely on my wishlist radar.
Monkey Do! Playtest Final Verdict
If you love 3D platformers with light puzzle elements, a collectible loop, and a fun theme, Monkey Do! is already easy to recommend based on the playtest. The art style and overall presentation bring a lot of charm, and the Wetlands habitat is a solid first impression.
That said, the controls need attention, and enemy variety needs to expand beyond what the playtest showed. If those two areas improve in the full release, Monkey Do! has the potential to be a genuinely memorable indie platformer instead of a “cool idea with rough edges.”
Visit our Originals hub to discover more demos, playtest impressions, and deep dives like our Echo Isle Demo Impressions guide.
