Ball x Pit was my Steam Deck obsession last year, and its first major update threatens to steal my free time all over again

'It's like Balatro' is the most overused comparison in indie games, and yet I can't help but return to it every time I talk about Ball x Pit. There are no cards, no poker, no jokers, no bananas, no Jimbo, no tarot, no Ben Starrs, but it is a roguelike where you craft careful combos to make the numbies go higher than you could possibly believe. I put more hours into Ball x Pit on my Steam Deck last year than any other game, and just when I thought I was out, developer Kenny Sun and Friends pulls me back in with its first major update.

The new Ball x Pit update promises two new characters, eight new balls, and countless hours of my life spent perfecting that Breakout-style gameplay with new permutations. If you haven't had the pleasure of diving into the game before, you need to create devastating combinations of abilities in order to pinball your way through each level. There's also a pinball-based farming sim attached to it, which has no right to be as good as it is, but it's more of a side thing.

It's also the perfect Steam Deck game. The rounds are short enough to be played on the bus or train, and the system requirements are low enough a Nokia 3310 could probably run it. Safe to say it's Deck Verified, and Me Verified, because I'm frankly embarrassed to show you the number of hours I put into this game while on the move.

After unlocking every possible combo, I thought I was done. But no, Kenny Sun and Friends has found some new ingredients to throw into the cauldron and has cooked up a cunning concoction to steal yet more of my precious hours of free time.

The two new treasure seekers (characters) joining the game are The Carouser, whose returning balls orbit around him, and The Falconer, who is flanked by her two falcons who can also throw balls. I must admit, I'm more interested in the avian expert than the drunken brawler, but I'm sure that'll all change when I figure out a way to manipulate The Carouser's abilities to my advantage.

The Regal Update, as it is called, isn't spoiling the eight new balls being added, and the Steam page is currently teasing another surprise for next week.

The Ball x Pit Regal Update launches for free on Monday, January 26. You can read the full details on Steam here.

Off the back of winning the Best New York Game at the New York Game Awards and being hailed as one of the top played Steam Deck games by Valve, Ball x Pit's ball-fusion action is looking to double down on its success in 2026. It's cool, I didn't need any free time anyway.