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BALL X PIT
review | PLAYSTATION 5
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Publisher: Devolver Digital.
Developer: Kenny Sun. Released: October 2025. Genre: Breakout; Roguelike. Other versions: SWI; XSX; PC. Posted 8th December 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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The games industry has become increasingly reliant in recent years on indie works and passion projects to sustain the flow of creative ideas. These titles typically ground themselves in old-school sensibilities, engineering modern ideas around tried and tested tropes to create new experiences. Ball x Pit takes one of the medium’s oldest genres, the Breakout clone, and revitalises it through an unlikely mix of roguelike structuring, RPG numerics, and a light sprinkling of management.
The city Ballbylon has been left in ruins, after a meteorite smashed a giant crevasse through its centre. Adventurers must rebuild the city, and in the process upgrade an elevator to descend further into the abyss, with bigger rewards and greater dangers lurking in the lower reaches. Each ‘ballpit’ takes the form of a vertical-scrolling conveyor belt of enemies, with the player launching a stream of balls either directly at them, or through circuitous routes using the back or sides of the playing field. Time is of the essence: take too long to inflict the necessary damage, and enemies will start landing hits on the player, depleting their health. Levels typically last 12-15 minutes, culminating in a boss battle normally consisting of (manageable) bullet hell shooter elements.
Super busy, super addictive: Ball x Pit is good for both 15-minute blasts and 3-hour marathons
The aim is to craft gaps in enemy lines. The more ricochets you amass, the quicker you’re able to build damage numbers. It’s incredibly moreish, especially when you factor in the variety of special balls. Each of the 16 characters (except for the Warrior, whom you begin with) has their own special by default, and these can be quickly complemented by a host of others. The simplest are fairly self-explanatory: Fire causes burn damage, Poison results in damage over time, Freeze slows the advance of enemies, Ghost sees the ball passing through enemies rather than deflecting off them, and Vampire occasionally leaches health. Then you’ve some more elaborate concepts: Lasers damage enemies by row, Brood Mother adds to the carnage by spawning extra balls, whilst Earthquake and Bleed cause area damage. Choosing when to level up existing balls, and when to add to the pool, proves an absorbing balancing act.
The game really comes into its own through the Fusion and Evolution options. Fusions can be wrought from just about any combination of balls, mixing the attributes of the two. Some of these are incredibly potent, some a little less so, but they’re fun to experiment with. Better still are the Evolutions, which transform two compatible balls into a new type. Some of these can be game changers: combining Fire and Dark creates Black Hole, for example, and there are some very specific combinations resulting in Satan (causing fire and berserk damage), Nosferatu (spawning a vampire bat that then causes rampant bleed damage) and Nuclear Bomb (deals huge damage and inflicts radiation damage), to name but a few. Discovering new combinations is a thrill and a major incentive for return runs.
The game really comes into its own through the Fusion and Evolution options. Fusions can be wrought from just about any combination of balls, mixing the attributes of the two. Some of these are incredibly potent, some a little less so, but they’re fun to experiment with. Better still are the Evolutions, which transform two compatible balls into a new type. Some of these can be game changers: combining Fire and Dark creates Black Hole, for example, and there are some very specific combinations resulting in Satan (causing fire and berserk damage), Nosferatu (spawning a vampire bat that then causes rampant bleed damage) and Nuclear Bomb (deals huge damage and inflicts radiation damage), to name but a few. Discovering new combinations is a thrill and a major incentive for return runs.
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BxP is supremely playable. Addictive and absorbing, it’s easy to lose hours in the ebb and flow of the gameplay loop, which harbours an incredibly strong one-more-go aspect. Each level has a theme that affects the challenge: SnowyXShore, for example, sees snow and ice buffers allowing enemies layers of protection on certain flanks, whilst LiminalXDesert has quicksand patches to hinder the player’s movement. Ball x Pit uses its various characters for wonderfully creative means, often dramatically shifting the nature of the gameplay. The Cohabitants fire two sets of balls in mirrored directions, at the rate of half damage. The Cogitator chooses his own level-up bonuses, whilst The Shade shoots balls from the top of the screen, which can cause a problem against advancing bosses, as your shots can become trapped between the back of the level and the rapidly-spawning rows of enemies, making it tough to lay a glove on the boss. The Shieldbearer goes full Breakout, allowing players to bat back balls once they return down the screen, whilst The Tactician transforms levels into a turn-based experience, itself a fascinating divergence from the formula.
Bolstering Ball x Pit’s addictive qualities is its city management aspect, which involves rebuilding Ballbylon from the edges of the pit. Here, a mountain of upgrades, characters, and features can be uncovered. Players can plant various farmable resources and buildings, which typically require a set number of ‘bounces’ to harvest or build. The more characters you unlock, the more workers are on hand to help, and the greater the yield. It’s simple stuff, but good fun, and fans of tinkering will get a kick out of expanding and rearranging the city, bit by bit.
Bolstering Ball x Pit’s addictive qualities is its city management aspect, which involves rebuilding Ballbylon from the edges of the pit. Here, a mountain of upgrades, characters, and features can be uncovered. Players can plant various farmable resources and buildings, which typically require a set number of ‘bounces’ to harvest or build. The more characters you unlock, the more workers are on hand to help, and the greater the yield. It’s simple stuff, but good fun, and fans of tinkering will get a kick out of expanding and rearranging the city, bit by bit.
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The levelling system proves to be a double-edged sword, as the numbers come to bear greater significance than the placement of the balls. In the early exchanges, some levels will inevitably see you overpowered, though once you’ve reached a tipping point, the opposite issue becomes the problem. Beginning levels with upgraded stats and levelled-up balls mean things start to feel less challenging and a little more routine. It’s nothing ruinous, but there are points where your attention starts to wander.
Visually, the game is nothing extraordinary, but it’s neatly presented and packed with huge swathes of activity. The balls propel around the screen at lightning speeds, and the pixel art environments and stylish enemy designs prove a lovely fit. The musical accompaniment is excellent: alternatively brooding and dramatic, the kind of marvellously composed, insidious melodies that quietly worm their way into your head. Sound effects are basic but satisfying.
Visually, the game is nothing extraordinary, but it’s neatly presented and packed with huge swathes of activity. The balls propel around the screen at lightning speeds, and the pixel art environments and stylish enemy designs prove a lovely fit. The musical accompaniment is excellent: alternatively brooding and dramatic, the kind of marvellously composed, insidious melodies that quietly worm their way into your head. Sound effects are basic but satisfying.
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Completing the 8 stages with all 16 characters should keep players busy for a long stretch. It isn’t too much of a slog, owing to the fact that, after a point, you can take two characters into battle at once, helping double the completion rate. There are plenty of post-game challenges for those who wish to continue levelling the characters, and the game’s addictive qualities may well see you return to the pit, even beyond earning the Platinum trophy.
Ball x Pit is a super-satisfying, marvellously inventive take on the Breakout formula, incorporating roguelike elements to bolster its immediacy and the RPG and management aspects to retain the interest over longer periods, Kenny Sun’s surprise experimental title has deservedly ended up being one of 2025’s biggest hits.
Ball x Pit is a super-satisfying, marvellously inventive take on the Breakout formula, incorporating roguelike elements to bolster its immediacy and the RPG and management aspects to retain the interest over longer periods, Kenny Sun’s surprise experimental title has deservedly ended up being one of 2025’s biggest hits.
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VERDICT"A superbly effective fusion of old-school tropes and modern ideas. Ball x Pit is Breakout like you've never seen before, and one of the best surprises to emerge from the indie scene in some time." OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER PIXEL ART GAMES REVIEWED
Lone Survivor: Director's Cut (2013, PlayStation Vita)
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Carrion (2020, Xbox One)
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