I’ve just stumbled across a charming new game and so I figured I’d quickly share a little something about it before I put the kids to bed.
Ballionaire is a new pachinko-inspired roguelike – or “autobonker” – about building high scoring boards filled with quirky triggers that kick off big combos. I liked the way developer newobject described it:
Ballionaire is a roguelike “numbers go up” pachinko-builder. An “autobonker”, as I like to call it! It combines chaotic, kinetic motion with a simple-but-deep drafting-and-theorycrafting strategic level of play.
Ballionaire is now on Steam after a demo previously appeared on itch.io. Don’t bother clicking the link, it’s not there anymore; that version is gone because the game has just enjoyed an artistic overhaul in time for its grand unveiling on Valve’s platform.
In the first post shared on Steam, we’re given a bit of insight into the new art update, and what has influenced the visual overhaul. As well as indie comics, inspirations mentioned in the post include Mr. Men, Adventure Time, and Parappa the Rapper.
I’ve included two of the screenshots here, but there are more on the Steam page as well as some additional details about the arty update that you can look at once you’ve done wishlisting the game.
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Still with us? Of course you are! If you want to keep reading about great hand-picked rogues, the following articles represent a huge collection of the best roguelike games ever made.
Next, there are genre-specific lists that delve into the best roguelike games of all types. I’ve pulled out the best examples from each category, alongside the links to more in-depth articles!
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all. There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!
