What Happens When You Mix Pinball with a Roguelike? Pure Addiction.
Every once in a while, a new indie game comes along with a concept so brilliantly simple, you can’t believe it hasn’t been done before. That’s exactly what’s happening with Ball x Pit, the new action roguelike from solo developer Kenny Sun and publisher Devolver Digital. The game, which launched on October 15, 2025, has become an instant sensation, selling a staggering 100,000 copies in its first 24 hours and smashing the 300,000 mark in just five days. The secret to its success? It’s a genius mashup of two wildly different genres: the classic arcade fun of Breakout and the chaotic, screen-filling action of a survivor-like game such as Vampire Survivors.
The response has been overwhelming, with the game currently sitting at a 95% ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam. It’s a testament to the power of a great idea executed perfectly, and it proves that sometimes, all we really want to do is bounce balls off things.
Two Games in One: The Pit and the Town
At its core, Ball x Pit has two distinct gameplay loops that feed into each other beautifully. The first is the action phase. You enter a giant pit and launch an ever-growing arsenal of balls at hordes of monsters that slowly advance down the screen. As you defeat them, you collect gems to level up, allowing you to add new balls, upgrade existing ones, or find powerful passive items. You can even fuse and evolve your balls to create devastating new combinations. It’s a frantic, satisfying ballet of destruction where you try to clear the screen before the monsters reach you.
When your run in the pit is over, you return to the surface with the resources you’ve collected. This is the second loop: a charming city-builder. You use your gold, stone, and wood to construct new buildings, which in turn unlock new playable characters, new types of balls, and permanent upgrades for your future runs. This creates an incredibly addictive cycle: a good run in the pit gives you the resources to improve your town, which then makes your next run in the pit even more powerful and chaotic.
Why Is Everyone So Hooked?
The community’s response has been electric. Players describe the game as ‘digital heroin’ and the perfect ‘dopamine dispenser.’ The simple-to-learn but hard-to-master gameplay makes it incredibly easy to pick up, and the constant stream of unlocks keeps you saying, “just one more run.” The game’s demo, which was featured in a recent Steam Next Fest, was praised for being a perfect vertical slice that convinced many to buy the full game.
While some players who have reached the late game note that the runs can start to feel a bit repetitive, the overwhelming consensus is that the journey to get there is an absolute blast. It’s a game designed to be played in short, satisfying bursts, making it the perfect thing to pick up when you have a spare 30 minutes. Its success is even more impressive considering it launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, meaning the 300,000 sales number doesn’t even include the huge number of people playing it through the subscription service.
FAQs About Ball x Pit
- What kind of game is Ball x Pit?
It’s an action roguelike that combines the gameplay of brick-breaker games like Arkanoid with survivor-like progression and a city-building meta-game. - What platforms is it available on?
It’s currently available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also planned for a future release. - Is it on Game Pass?
Yes, Ball x Pit is available on Xbox Game Pass. - Who developed the game?
It was created by solo developer Kenny Sun and published by Devolver Digital. - Is there a demo?
Yes, there is a free demo available on Steam that many players have praised. - How long is the game?
Reviewers and players have reported spending dozens of hours unlocking everything, with one reviewer mentioning it took them nearly 60 hours to see the New Game Plus content.
Conclusion
Ball x Pit is a masterclass in indie game design. It takes a nostalgic, simple concept and reinvents it with modern roguelike mechanics to create something fresh, exciting, and deeply addictive. Its explosive launch and incredible sales numbers are a well-deserved success for developer Kenny Sun. It’s the kind of game that reminds us that sometimes, the most fun you can have is just watching a whole lot of balls bounce around a screen. If you’re looking for your next obsession, you’ve just found it.