So I Tried… BALL x PIT

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never played before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time around, I went with one of 2025’s breakout indie hits, BALL x PIT.

What I thought it was

I’d never ever heard of BALL x PIT until I saw that some of my fellow GameGrin writers had it on their weekly What We’re Playing list. So, I had a quick search online and saw that, from a handful of screenshots, it seemed a bit like a Breakout clone.

Okay, maybe that’s selling the game short just a little bit. There was obviously more to it than that, I just couldn’t quite figure out what exactly. It certainly looked faster paced than Breakout and other such titles, and the screenshots were very hectic. How close was I to guessing it right? Well, you’ll have to read on…

What it actually is

Wow. So this game is really something! The description on the PlayStation Store is simply: “A brick-breaking, ball-fusing, base-building survival roguelite.” That’s a lot of genres mashed into one! Right out of the gate, you’re given a little bit of story before being thrust right into the action. Instead of breaking static bricks, you’ll instead need to defeat wave upon wave of enemies that move from the top of the screen to the bottom, by moving your hero and aiming where you want to fire. Your character has a generic projectile attack, alongside a more powerful, upgradeable ball that will bounce between the sides of the arena and enemies alike. Your goal is to defeat as many enemies as possible before dying. Sounds simple enough, but oh boy do things get hectic quick!

Within minutes, I had a spiked ball, a flaming ball, a ball that poisoned whoever it touched, and a lightning ball that damaged foes in a chain reaction. Unfortunately, I didn’t last all too long in my first run, but I was eager to jump back in and see if I could get a little bit further. It was here I was introduced to another of BALL x PIT’s mechanics: base building! Initially, I was only able to place simple resources — such as a wheat field or a forest — before placing them on a tile-based section of land. But it seemed like there were plenty more to unlock, with economy, warfare, and housing being the three available options of land tile types to choose from.

Then, it’s back to trying to blast your way through hordes of baddies! Yes, BALL x PIT is a roguelite and, quite frankly, one that is unlike any I’ve played before.

Will I keep playing

This is a very easy yes! There’s a surprising level of thinking involved when it comes to which balls and their associated abilities will work well with others. Not only that, but the other passive ability upgrades you receive, as well as being able to fuse balls to combine their effects, and who knows what else!

BALL x PIT was a blast to play in the 30 short minutes I had with it, and it’s so simple to pick up and play when I’m just not in the mood to settle down with something more serious. If you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, there’s a one-hour trial available, and I’d absolutely recommend giving it a shot!