BALL x PIT Review: Kenny Sun Blends Roguelite Innovation on Nintendo Switch
For over a decade, Kenny Sun has carved out a niche as a creative force in the indie game space, delivering unconventional hits like Circa Infinity and Mr Sun’s Hatbox.
Now, Sun partners with publisher Devolver Digital to launch BALL x PIT, a genre-blending roguelite arriving on Nintendo Switch and set for an enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 release.
Combining elements from Arkanoid and Vampire Survivors with a base-building twist, BALL x PIT emerges as one of the most compelling and addictive titles on the Switch eShop in recent memory. Set in the shattered city of Ballbylon—destroyed when a meteor reminiscent of a katamari rained down treasures into a colossal pit—BALL x PIT invites players to descend through monster-infested levels as a roster of quirky, skill-driven characters.
Each run tasks players with hurling balls at encroaching monsters, avoiding hazards, and outmaneuvering bosses, all while strategically collecting blueprints, items, and upgrades to push further each round. Kenny Sun’s design philosophy shines in the game’s meticulous blending of mechanics.
Similar to Vampire Survivors, monsters drop pellets that grant experience, enabling players to select and upgrade ball abilities at random.
LEVELS introduce new challenges, forcing players to adapt, experiment with various ball types—like vertical and horizontal lasers—and capitalize on character-specific traits.
As Sun has noted in developer commentary, the game is balanced to encourage experimentation and player-driven discovery, offering synergies and combinations that are hinted at in the UI rather than locked behind external guides. The character variety is equally impressive.
Players start with a Bleed ball user but can unlock personalities like The Cogitator, who auto-selects upgrades, or The Cohabitants, a duo that doubles their firepower with a trade-off in damage.
With each character unlocking through progression and each carrying unique quirks, replay value is baked into the foundation. Progression extends beyond roguelite runs.
BALL x PIT features a robust base-building system, requiring players to invest materials and gold earned in the pit to construct and upgrade facilities.
Building isn’t just a menu interaction—it’s an interactive mini-game invoking Arkanoid, where constructing or upgrading structures requires bouncing character balls off buildings.
The developer offers a flexible approach, letting players rearrange their base to optimize each harvest, though some may find the recurrence of these mini-games slightly repetitive. Visually, BALL x PIT achieves a gritty, cohesive aesthetic, though some might find the chibi character models contrast with the overall tone.
Enemy and boss designs display considerable variety, especially as players advance through higher stages.
There are some readability hitches in later stages, with overlapping bullets, lasers, and pickups, particularly in the more intense levels. In terms of performance, BALL x PIT runs flawlessly on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, benefiting from faster loading and no observed frame drops—even during intense particle effects.
On the original Nintendo Switch, however, there can be noticeable dips, especially in later biomes or during large boss encounters.
The Switch 2 release is set to include a free upgrade for existing owners. Feedback from early players echoes the sentiment that BALL x PIT is designed by roguelite enthusiasts for roguelite enthusiasts—offering deep, well-explained mechanics and addictive gameplay loops.
The game also allows for considerable flexibility in unlocking new content, with no requirement to complete every challenge with every character to progress through levels. Ultimately, BALL x PIT cements itself as an essential indie title for fans of roguelite and base-building games.
Kenny Sun’s blend of genres, thoughtful progression systems, and sheer gameplay variety make it a standout on the Nintendo Switch and a must-watch for its upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 debut. BALL x PIT is available now via the Nintendo Switch eShop and Steam, with a free Switch 2 upgrade confirmed.
Review tested on Nintendo Switch; copy provided by Devolver Digital.
Now, Sun partners with publisher Devolver Digital to launch BALL x PIT, a genre-blending roguelite arriving on Nintendo Switch and set for an enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 release.
Combining elements from Arkanoid and Vampire Survivors with a base-building twist, BALL x PIT emerges as one of the most compelling and addictive titles on the Switch eShop in recent memory. Set in the shattered city of Ballbylon—destroyed when a meteor reminiscent of a katamari rained down treasures into a colossal pit—BALL x PIT invites players to descend through monster-infested levels as a roster of quirky, skill-driven characters.
Each run tasks players with hurling balls at encroaching monsters, avoiding hazards, and outmaneuvering bosses, all while strategically collecting blueprints, items, and upgrades to push further each round. Kenny Sun’s design philosophy shines in the game’s meticulous blending of mechanics.
Similar to Vampire Survivors, monsters drop pellets that grant experience, enabling players to select and upgrade ball abilities at random.
LEVELS introduce new challenges, forcing players to adapt, experiment with various ball types—like vertical and horizontal lasers—and capitalize on character-specific traits.
As Sun has noted in developer commentary, the game is balanced to encourage experimentation and player-driven discovery, offering synergies and combinations that are hinted at in the UI rather than locked behind external guides. The character variety is equally impressive.
Players start with a Bleed ball user but can unlock personalities like The Cogitator, who auto-selects upgrades, or The Cohabitants, a duo that doubles their firepower with a trade-off in damage.
With each character unlocking through progression and each carrying unique quirks, replay value is baked into the foundation. Progression extends beyond roguelite runs.
BALL x PIT features a robust base-building system, requiring players to invest materials and gold earned in the pit to construct and upgrade facilities.
Building isn’t just a menu interaction—it’s an interactive mini-game invoking Arkanoid, where constructing or upgrading structures requires bouncing character balls off buildings.
The developer offers a flexible approach, letting players rearrange their base to optimize each harvest, though some may find the recurrence of these mini-games slightly repetitive. Visually, BALL x PIT achieves a gritty, cohesive aesthetic, though some might find the chibi character models contrast with the overall tone.
Enemy and boss designs display considerable variety, especially as players advance through higher stages.
There are some readability hitches in later stages, with overlapping bullets, lasers, and pickups, particularly in the more intense levels. In terms of performance, BALL x PIT runs flawlessly on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, benefiting from faster loading and no observed frame drops—even during intense particle effects.
On the original Nintendo Switch, however, there can be noticeable dips, especially in later biomes or during large boss encounters.
The Switch 2 release is set to include a free upgrade for existing owners. Feedback from early players echoes the sentiment that BALL x PIT is designed by roguelite enthusiasts for roguelite enthusiasts—offering deep, well-explained mechanics and addictive gameplay loops.
The game also allows for considerable flexibility in unlocking new content, with no requirement to complete every challenge with every character to progress through levels. Ultimately, BALL x PIT cements itself as an essential indie title for fans of roguelite and base-building games.
Kenny Sun’s blend of genres, thoughtful progression systems, and sheer gameplay variety make it a standout on the Nintendo Switch and a must-watch for its upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 debut. BALL x PIT is available now via the Nintendo Switch eShop and Steam, with a free Switch 2 upgrade confirmed.
Review tested on Nintendo Switch; copy provided by Devolver Digital.
