Ball x PIT [First Impressions]

2025 has been a banner year for video games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 floored me with its painterly aesthetic and unique approach to the turn-based genre, Donkey Kong Bonanza turned nostalgia into a chaotic new rhythm, Split Fiction blurred genre lines in ways I didn’t think possible, and Silksong (finally) delivered on years of anticipation. The result? An already overcrowded Game of the Year conversation.

So imagine my surprise when a quirky Devolver Digital title, Ball x PIT, slid into the mix and gave me some of the most pure, unfiltered fun I’ve had all year. Equal parts Breakout and Vampire Survivors, it’s the kind of game that sneaks up on you and instantly sinks its hooks in.

The story is knowingly absurd: the glorious city of Ballbylon is struck down by a meteor, leaving behind a vast crater. Adventurers now descend into the pit to scavenge treasure and uncover the truth behind the disaster. It’s a thin premise, but it sets up the roguelike loop perfectly.

Gameplay is the real star here. You control a hero exploring the pit, battling waves of monsters by launching enchanted balls at them. The Breakout DNA is clear - watching a ball bounce off walls, slip between narrow passages, and ricochet through multiple enemies never stops being satisfying. There’s a tactical layer too: some balls inflict bleed damage, others poison, some pierce entire rows with laser fire, and others bounce through multiple enemies before returning. Picking up the right tool at the right time is a huge part of your survival.

There’s also flexibility in how you play. You can manually “launch” each ball with a trigger for precision, or set it to auto-fire and focus on positioning. After experimenting with both, I imagine most players will stick with auto, but manual gives that extra edge of control for the stubbornly skilled.

The roguelike progression adds even more depth. Enemies drop XP, and leveling up lets you choose new weapons, passive abilities, or upgrades. Along the way, you’ll discover “fission” bonuses (leveling up weapons), “fusion” bonuses (merging incompatible weapons into strange hybrids), and “evolutions” (unlocking powerful synergies between compatible ones). It’s a system that constantly rewards curiosity and risk-taking, which makes every run feel distinct.

And then there’s New Ballbylon. After a run inevitably ends, you return to the crater’s rebuilt surface settlement. Here you can gather resources—stone, wood, wheat—and construct buildings to expand your town. That progression system gives a welcome sense of permanence, and the kicker is that even harvesting resources involves more Breakout mechanics. It’s goofy, cohesive, and surprisingly compelling.

I’ve spent about 2–3 hours with the demo so far, and it already has that “just one more run” quality nailed. The loop of diving into the pit, experimenting with new ball types, and watching the chaos unfold scratches both the arcade itch and the modern roguelike obsession. It’s easy to pick up, but there’s plenty of nuance to designed to reward repeated play.

With Hades II freshly in rotation, Silksong demanding my attention, and big hitters like Ghost of Yotei and Final Fantasy Tactics Ivalice Chronicles right around the corner, October is already stacked. Yet Ball x PIT is carving out its own space in my library, and I can’t wait to see how the full version builds on this addictive foundation.

Ball x PIT arrives October 15th on Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox and Game Pass.