In an industry that is borderline obsessed with making things increasingly bigger rather than, well… better, it’s safe to say that Kenny Sun’s block-breaking hit Ball X Pit is a veritable breath of fresh air. Released earlier this month on consoles and PC, this indie roguelike darling has taken the world by storm thanks to its moreish simplicity and compelling pick-up-and-play gameplay.
Blending the addictive dopamine drip of Vampire Survivors‘ near-continuous progression system with the elegance of a pinball-esque block-breaker, Ball X Pit is a masterclass in simplicity over exceedingly complex mechanics. While the heart of the game revolves around defeating waves of blocky monsters — replete with a couple of mini-bosses and a big bad at the end of run thrown in for good measure — the real joy of the experience stems from its constant sense of meaningful progression through its dizzying array of upgradeable balls and passive buffs.
Not only can you unlock new balls on your run — which offer powerful abilities, like Bleed, Poison, and Fire damage — but you can also upgrade them into even more devastating tools of destruction. Even cooler still, you can even fuse these different balls into even more formidable forces, like fusing a Fireball with a Horizontal Laser, which absolutely decimates any adversary that tries to rain on your ball-shaped parade.
In short, Ball X Pit offers players a continuous one-more-try loop that is incredibly well-designed and compelling, especially if you’re on the hunt for something that is easy to pick up and play, but offers something deeper that can help while away the hours. See, not only is the core game extremely fun, but there’s even plenty of meta progression systems to keep you locked in its tantalisingly arcadey embrace.
Between runs, there’s even a city building management system that offers your wide variety of different characters an assortment of incremental upgrades, while also serving as a source to gather up fresh resources, like Wood, Wheat, and Stone. These can be used to build even more elaborate structures that can gift you even more buffs and perks, which amps up your characters’ abilities even further.
While moment to moment survival is a fairly straightforward endeavour, it’s surprising how easy it is to accidentally choose the wrong upgrades, and then get overwhelmed by the throngs of blocky enemies. As a result, there’s genuine satisfaction when you finally beat a specific level or pesky boss, which is optimal for games of this ilk.
For those who have a soft spot for the old-school games of yore — like yours truly — Ball X Pit will absolutely scratch that itch, while also throwing in some modern mechanics to keep you deeply invested. On the surface, you may glance at screenshots of Devolver Digital’s latest indie sensation and balk at its simplicity and retro-inspired visuals. But believe me, that’s where this instant classic shines best.
Sometimes, less is more. And Ball X Pit takes this idea and runs with it, all the way to my nostalgia-tinged youth spent churning quarters into dusty arcade cabinets. If you’re looking for some high-octane arcade fun with a modern twist, you can’t go wrong with this one. Now, forgive me, I have some balls to break…
