Ball x Pit - Review
Developer | Kenny Sun |
Publisher | Devolver Digital |
Platforms | PC, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, PS5, Xbox Series |
Release Date | 15 October 2025 |
A great benefit of having PlayStation Plus (or similar like Xbox Gamepass) is finding a lot of hidden gems that you might not have seen or given the chance if they weren't there. Ball x Pit, developed by Kenny Sun, is one of those very titles I'm talking about. It's an addictive rogue-lite that will have you losing track of time and wanting to do just one more run.
Starting with just a single character, you will be completing level after level, unlocking more characters and upgrades to make each run easier. The bulk of gameplay has you fighting through vertical stages where enemies spawn from the top and move towards the bottom of the screen. Most don't deal damage till they hit the bottom, but some can shoot projectiles amongst other effects. There are also 3 bosses spread through the stage with much larger pools of health and interesting tactics. The enemy variety is solid, where each stage holds their own unique ones and moves to overcome.
How these monsters are dealt with is simple - shooting a variety of balls at them... yes, that is what I just wrote. You see, each character will start with one of the many base-level balls you will be able to get. All heroes, aside from the one you start with, also have unique traits that change the game, some much more than others. You gain experience with each kill, and when you level up, your stats increase, and you can choose another ball you can wield or a passive ability. You will also be able to fuse and evolve these various abilities and balls for almost endless build variety.
The stages can be a tad difficult for the first few hours as you get to grips with the gameplay and develop upgrades to help you on your way. However, despite failing on runs, you will be hooked on the loop that Ball x Pit offers and want to try again. It's that much fun.
I mentioned you will unlock ways to help throughout the game and that is through the hub level. From here you can slowly expand the area and place lots of different buildings and resources which you can send off your unlocked characters to bounce off walls and buildings to collect the resources. You won't spend a lot of time here, but when you do it's a nice change of pace and fun working out the best placement of things to maximise your collecting.
I put in roughly 30 hours into Ball x Pit, and I enjoyed every minute. This retro-style, rogue-lite is a therapeutic escape from other larger titles, offering endless fun and possibilities for shaping each run that will have you coming back for more and more. A definite recommendation for anyone that is a fan of the genre and titles like Vampire Survivors.
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