Kenny Sun and Devolver Digital have certainly brought the heat. From the ashes and rubble of Ballbylon rises ‘BALL x PIT’, a wildly inventive fusion of brick-breaker chaos, roguelite intensity, and some base-building strategy, all bundled into a neat little package.

Ball x PIT launches players into a rampageous roguelite adventure full of brick-breaking mechanics and base building that’s sure to have you on the edge of your seat with action-packed gameplay on every tile. After a meteoric event destroyed the city of Babylon, treasure hunters swarm to the town in search of its hidden treasures, but only the bravest and strongest will return from its depths.

Take control of various heroes as you batter hordes of enemies that are hell bent on stopping you in your tracks.

Luckily for you, controls are super easy to grasp, standard movement controls, and a simple button to enable auto fire allows you the chance to fully focus on your choice of upgrades while enemies move closer and closer.

There is also a handy little tutorial at the start to help you hit the ground running moments before catapulting you into the action.

As you take out enemies, little blue orbs will drop. These orbs help upgrade your character as you progress through the waves of enemies. As well as this, there are also rainbow orbs that enable you to fuse different upgrades to form all-new and upgraded power-ups to aid in the assault. That said, the enemies aren’t all that easy to defeat.

While you do get various upgrades and power-ups, you have to choose carefully, as some upgrades are better for you, but it all depends on your playstyle. This adds a layer of excitement to the action as your fate is entirely in your own hands with over 60 different randomised balls to equip or combine.

Along with this, you can rebuild and expand a new Ballbylon with 70 unique buildings and landscape items that provide bonuses that unlock more power-ups and new characters. While it is only single-player, BALL x PIT is a fun little 2D adventure with action-packed fun in every nook and cranny.

The top-down graphics in BALL x PIT are a perfect blend of retro arcade aesthetics and modern age feel. Bright, bold colours fill the arena, presenting a lovely backdrop to the utter chaos of the battlefield. The sheer amount of detail in a 2D arcade game is worth appreciating, as the developers clearly put a lot of effort into it.

Greeted by an excellent medieval-like soundtrack in the menu, which then turns to what I can best describe as a futuristic EDM style, creates a unique experience unlike any other game. Ultimately, this contributed to the chaos of battle, as the heavier beat has created a sense of momentum, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

To conclude, BALL x PIT was an otherworldly experience. From the graphics to the simple controls, all the way to the superb soundtrack, I found myself grinding for hours trying to make it to the next level, even when I felt like getting off

Written by: Larry