Pony Island 2: Panda Circus just dropped playtest sign-ups on Steam after its latest trailer hit the Triple-i Initiative showcase, and the timing is peak indie chaos. Daniel Mullins' sequel stacks sidescrolling pony rides, bow-and-arrow 3D exploration, bullet heaven bits, Inscryption-style card dungeons, clown minigames, Pac-Man knockoffs, and FMV cutscenes into one glitchy fever dream — and this isn't even the full list from the footage. The Steam page is the only place to click "Request Access," but spots aren't guaranteed, so you're basically adding your name to a digital hat.

Meanwhile the original Pony Island (2016 horror puzzle classic, 95% positive on Steam) is straight-up free to claim until October 12 at 10 AM PST, which is either generous marketing or the dev straight-up daring you to see where the madness started. Release is locked for April 27, 2027, so this playtest window is the closest thing to early access most of us will get for a while.

Community chatter on X is already buzzing with the usual "what the hell is this game" energy, and the freebie on the original is getting folks who slept on it a decade ago finally adding it to their libraries. Classic Mullins move: confuse you, hook you, then hand you the keys to the old weirdness while the new one stays just out of reach.