Let's have a ball
By Paul Hunter
Well, Devolver Digital did it again, I fired up Ball x Pit on Nintendo Switch 2 and like many of their games, it hooked me right away. Developer Kenny Sun and Friends have taken the old idea of bouncing balls around a tight arena, a la Arkanoid and Breakout, and turned it into a wild action roguelite that never slows down. Within minutes you are watching balls flying everywhere, spraying damage numbers on descending enemies that burst with glorious pops.
At a high level, it is a mashup of brick breaker and bullet heaven. You stand at the bottom of a tall field, hurl balls up into monsters pouring down from above, and scoop up run-altering rewards that push your build in all sorts of wild directions. Outside the pit, you head back to a compact base where you fling your crew through fields and buildings, turning those hits into long term upgrades and new ways to extend your runs even further.
The secret sauce is how much the game commits to its ball theme. Fusions and evolutions let you blend different ball types into strange powerhouses, and a steady stream of characters and stages keeps giving you reasons to fire it up again.
If you love balls and live on roguelites and hectic action games, is this descent into Ball x Pit worth loading onto your Nintendo Switch 2 and sinking nights into? Let's find out!
When you arrive, that history is half legend. A ring of survivors and opportunists has turned the edge of the crater into a rough camp, and you step in as one of many treasure hunters. The game never pins down your exact motive, but it's easy to imagine each character chasing cash or personal glory.
Every trip down the lift feels like you are peeling back what is left of Ballbylon. There are different zones stacked on top of each other, and you need these odd cogs and a few brave adventurers to push the lift even deeper. It is a simple setup, but it makes each new layer feel like you are actually uncovering another part of the city that got swallowed.
On top, the camp is its own little story. You start with empty dirt and end up shaping fields, trees, and strange buildings that lean into the ball joke in fun ways. The encyclopaedia and small bits of lore are full of dumb puns and throwaway lines that made me smile more often than I expected. The narrative keeps the whole world glued together while you keep dropping into the pit.
From there, every upgrade crystal you collect matters. You start with weak shots and one special ball, then pick from a steady stream of new balls with unique powers, support trinkets, or straight stat buffs. You can acquires balls with fire, poison, freeze, or shock style effects, and each special ball has further upgrades so you always have a more powerful ball to chase.
Fusion pickups are where the system really opens up. This power lets you combine two balls into one hybrid that usually carries both effects and changes the flow of a run immediately. And then there are ball evolutions, which create entirely new balls with powerful abilities, that can quickly swing runs in your favour. One night I gambled on a weird fusion that combined a freezing ball with a ground smash, and it turned late stage waves into stunned enemies while my other attacks picked them off.
Stages run at around fifteen minutes in length, with waves, minibosses, and final bosses present across nine levels. The game asks you to clear stages with several heroes to open deeper layers, which means swapping between regulars and stranger options like the ball piercing Embedded or the heavily armoured Sheildbearer. Repeat clears with new characters drop blueprints that feed back into your base, and that progression keeps every run feeling like part of a bigger plan.
The real show starts once you begin firing. Balls bounce in every direction, and enemies crack with a satisying crunch. At fist it might seem like there's a lot going on on screen, but it's easy to follow once you get used to it. Enemy projectiles and larger enemies stand out against the background, so you always know which to avoid and which items to grab in a pinch.
Despite how busy the screen get (and it gets VERY busy!), the frame rate never slows down. Even in the densest stages, performance stays solid, which keeps your movement and aiming staying sharp.
On the audio side, Ball x Pit uses an upbeat electronic soundtrack that keeps the energy high during long play sessions. The music leans into heavier beats when bosses appear to match the intensity. Sound effects are where the game really shines: the clack of balls, explosion pops, and enemy cries all amplify the action, and the rising chants as creatures push towards the bottom of the screen give intense waves a great final push.
Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Developer: Kenny Sun and Friends
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: Arcade, Action, Roguelite
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Well, Devolver Digital did it again, I fired up Ball x Pit on Nintendo Switch 2 and like many of their games, it hooked me right away. Developer Kenny Sun and Friends have taken the old idea of bouncing balls around a tight arena, a la Arkanoid and Breakout, and turned it into a wild action roguelite that never slows down. Within minutes you are watching balls flying everywhere, spraying damage numbers on descending enemies that burst with glorious pops.
At a high level, it is a mashup of brick breaker and bullet heaven. You stand at the bottom of a tall field, hurl balls up into monsters pouring down from above, and scoop up run-altering rewards that push your build in all sorts of wild directions. Outside the pit, you head back to a compact base where you fling your crew through fields and buildings, turning those hits into long term upgrades and new ways to extend your runs even further.
The secret sauce is how much the game commits to its ball theme. Fusions and evolutions let you blend different ball types into strange powerhouses, and a steady stream of characters and stages keeps giving you reasons to fire it up again.
If you love balls and live on roguelites and hectic action games, is this descent into Ball x Pit worth loading onto your Nintendo Switch 2 and sinking nights into? Let's find out!
Story and Narrative
Ball x Pit leans on a very simple story, but its hilarity sticks with you. Ballbylon was once the centre of a strange ball worshipping culture, a whole city built around sports and round things. Then a meteor came along, destroyed most of it, and left behind an enormous pit that swallowed whatever did not get smashed on impact.When you arrive, that history is half legend. A ring of survivors and opportunists has turned the edge of the crater into a rough camp, and you step in as one of many treasure hunters. The game never pins down your exact motive, but it's easy to imagine each character chasing cash or personal glory.
Every trip down the lift feels like you are peeling back what is left of Ballbylon. There are different zones stacked on top of each other, and you need these odd cogs and a few brave adventurers to push the lift even deeper. It is a simple setup, but it makes each new layer feel like you are actually uncovering another part of the city that got swallowed.
On top, the camp is its own little story. You start with empty dirt and end up shaping fields, trees, and strange buildings that lean into the ball joke in fun ways. The encyclopaedia and small bits of lore are full of dumb puns and throwaway lines that made me smile more often than I expected. The narrative keeps the whole world glued together while you keep dropping into the pit.
Gameplay and Mechanics
What I love about Ball x Pit’s gameplay is how quickly it escalates without losing control. You begin on solid ground at the bottom of the pit, facing a column of enemies rolling down toward you. Your only tool is a clutch of balls that bounce up, smack into anything in their path, and fly back into your hands. Let a wave reach the bottom of the screen and you watch your health vanish in chunks.From there, every upgrade crystal you collect matters. You start with weak shots and one special ball, then pick from a steady stream of new balls with unique powers, support trinkets, or straight stat buffs. You can acquires balls with fire, poison, freeze, or shock style effects, and each special ball has further upgrades so you always have a more powerful ball to chase.
Fusion pickups are where the system really opens up. This power lets you combine two balls into one hybrid that usually carries both effects and changes the flow of a run immediately. And then there are ball evolutions, which create entirely new balls with powerful abilities, that can quickly swing runs in your favour. One night I gambled on a weird fusion that combined a freezing ball with a ground smash, and it turned late stage waves into stunned enemies while my other attacks picked them off.
Stages run at around fifteen minutes in length, with waves, minibosses, and final bosses present across nine levels. The game asks you to clear stages with several heroes to open deeper layers, which means swapping between regulars and stranger options like the ball piercing Embedded or the heavily armoured Sheildbearer. Repeat clears with new characters drop blueprints that feed back into your base, and that progression keeps every run feeling like part of a bigger plan.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, Ball x Pit nails that feeling of an old-school arcade cabinet. Characters, enemies, and balls have a chunky, pixel-style look, but they sit inside a 3D world that gives the pit real shape. The result is a battlefield that looks worn and a bit grimy, with layers of Ballbylon’s history stacked under your feet.The real show starts once you begin firing. Balls bounce in every direction, and enemies crack with a satisying crunch. At fist it might seem like there's a lot going on on screen, but it's easy to follow once you get used to it. Enemy projectiles and larger enemies stand out against the background, so you always know which to avoid and which items to grab in a pinch.
Despite how busy the screen get (and it gets VERY busy!), the frame rate never slows down. Even in the densest stages, performance stays solid, which keeps your movement and aiming staying sharp.
On the audio side, Ball x Pit uses an upbeat electronic soundtrack that keeps the energy high during long play sessions. The music leans into heavier beats when bosses appear to match the intensity. Sound effects are where the game really shines: the clack of balls, explosion pops, and enemy cries all amplify the action, and the rising chants as creatures push towards the bottom of the screen give intense waves a great final push.
The Verdict
Ball x Pit feels like a game built by people who love this genre and wanted to do something playful with it. The Ballbylon setting and the growing camp make every dive into the pit feel like it matters, and the mix of short stages, varied heroes, and wild fusions keeps the action fresh far past the point where many roguelites run out of steam. With confident visuals, lively sound, and huge replay value, Ball x Pit is the kind of game I can see myself bouncing back to for a long, long time.Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing
Ball x Pit details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Kenny Sun and Friends
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: Arcade, Action, Roguelite
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.