Monkey Bizniz Is a Chaotic Co-Op Adventure About Hauling Bananas Up a Mountain
Independent developer Starlight Games has unveiled Monkey Bizniz, a physics-driven cooperative game that turns a simple task into a recipe for disaster. Described by its creators as the world's first "banana extraction game," Monkey Bizniz challenges players to collect as many bananas as possible and transport them to the tops of dangerous mountains using an unstable wooden cart. A demo is currently available on Steam, giving players an early taste of the chaos before the full release.
At its core, Monkey Bizniz is built around cooperative gameplay for up to four players, although it can also be played solo. Players take control of customizable monkeys who must work together to move a heavily loaded banana cart through large sandbox environments filled with obstacles, hazards, and opportunities for things to go spectacularly wrong.
The game makes extensive use of proximity voice chat, encouraging communication between teammates as they tackle environmental puzzles and coordinate their efforts. One player may be tasked with stabilizing the cart while another operates a crane, activates pressure plates, or lowers a bridge. Meanwhile, another monkey might accidentally fall off a cliff and create an entirely new problem for the team to solve.
Cooperation, Competition, and Customization
Although teamwork is essential, Monkey Bizniz also encourages a degree of friendly rivalry. The developers note that players can cooperate fully or choose to sabotage one another in pursuit of banana supremacy. This creates a balance between collaboration and mischief that can change from one session to the next.
Each level features large open environments with multiple routes to explore and numerous bananas to discover. Different paths may offer varying levels of risk and reward, allowing groups to decide how ambitious they want to be during a run.
The project originated from a series of internal game jams at Starlight Games. According to CEO Gary Nichols, the team developed several prototypes before settling on Monkey Bizniz. The deciding factor was simple: it consistently made the developers laugh whenever they played it.
With its combination of physics-based gameplay, cooperative problem solving, open sandbox levels, and unpredictable multiplayer moments, Monkey Bizniz aims to deliver an experience where success is never guaranteed and failure is often just as entertaining. As players race to prepare a feast for the Monkey King, it seems likely that the biggest challenge will not be the mountain itself, but the friends helping push the cart.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 11:44 AM.