The videogame that started it all gets a roguelike reimagining 53 years after launch, and it's free to try

What's the first game you ever played? Mine was Super Mario Advance 2, a bona fide banger and the only game I owned until around a year after I won a Game Boy Advance in a competition, much to my parents' chagrin. I played it for hours and hours and - you get the picture. I got over a million points despite being stuck on an early level in World 2. But many people started their gaming journeys well before me (and were better at mastering those games), including with Pong, the game that started it all. Those early adopters of our artform will be pleased to know that Devolver Digital and Kenny Sun have reimagined the all-timer with a new roguelike flavor in Ball x Pit. And I can confirm that it's great.

This is an unusual game for Kenny Sun to make. You may recognise him from Twinfold, Yankai's Peak, or Circa Infinity, all of which play with bold colors and shapes. It's almost a cubist approach to game development, playing with the form in an almost minimalist presentation.

Ball x Pit, on the other hand, is maximalist. It's not got the color of Ultros, but as a bullet hell game where you have to redirect rounds of ammunition, Pong-style, the screen quickly fills with a mess of bullets and ever-increasing damage numbers.

It reminds me a lot of Creature in the Well, an excellent and underrated indie gem from 2019. But where Creature in the Well presents puzzles in the post-apocalypse, Ball x Pit slaps on roguelike mechanics. Yes, you're optimizing builds, playing round after round, and trying to maximize your damage in each new run.

I'll be honest that I thought this might be too much for me. I don't get overwhelmed easily, but the sheer amount of stuff to keep track can be tough. But Ball x Pit grabs you from the first bullet fired, and the ball-based gameplay keeps you locked in until the final, fateful moments of your run. It's Pong with roguelike conventions. It's Peggle mixed with Vampire Survivors. It's a whole bunch of fun.

Ball x Pit is available on Steam now for $14.99 / £11.69. You can buy it here, or try out a demo if you're unsure.

If you like this, check out our list of the best indie games for more bangers. The best action games will also scratch that itch for making numbers go up.

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