I hadn’t played Peggle before, mostly because the idea of just watching a game without much interaction never appealed to me. However, when Peglin unexpectedly launched on the Nintendo Switch in conjunction with a Nintendo Direct, it piqued my interest. Could this be the kind of idle game that finally captures my attention? As someone who’s slowly warming up to pinball-style games, Peglin seemed like it could be an interesting mix of both worlds. Or at least, that was my hope. Although Peglin didn’t fully convert me into a pachinko enthusiast, its primary mechanics kept me coming back, eager to send more balls hurtling toward enemies.
If you’re familiar with gaming trends, Peglin’s premise might sound a bit familiar. It’s a roguelike indie game that pits you against foes in various stages, where gradually enhancing your arsenal and skill set leads to a showdown with a formidable boss. While Peglin doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it sets its expectations upfront. The game’s visuals, in a delightfully simple pixel art style reminiscent of Microsoft Paint, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they serve their purpose well. The diverse adversaries and locales ensure that each adventure through Peglin’s landscape remains engaging.
But it’s really the gameplay that will determine if Peglin is for you or not. You launch an orb into a board brimming with pegs, and each peg you hit along the way boosts the damage your orb deals to the enemies above. Your control over the board is limited to choosing the orb’s trajectory. Special pegs offer extra coins, enhanced damage, critical strikes, or unique effects, adding layers to your strategy. After each round, you get a chance to purchase new orbs or enhance existing ones, with your lineup shuffled before every battle. There are plenty of enjoyable combinations and power-ups to discover, giving each playthrough a balanced but varied feel. I once found an item that allowed for multiball, meaning each orb would duplicate upon firing, though it restricted my ability to aim freely. This blend of advantages and constraints makes for some challenging, yet satisfying battles, especially with bosses who can disrupt your board with traps or summon additional enemies.
My personal journey with Peglin was a bit mixed. I found the process of launching orbs and racking up damage similar to playing pinball to be incredibly satisfying. Yet, there’s a passive element to the game that felt a bit off-putting. Once the orb is fired, strategic decisions are somewhat limited; choosing which item to trigger is crucial during tougher battles, but that’s about it. The lack of deep involvement paired with inadequate tutorials made it slightly frustrating. It wasn’t until quite far down the line that I discovered you could discard orbs to speed up access to more beneficial ones, a tactic useful against certain foes. The game asked for more thinking than actual gameplay at times, which was a hurdle I didn’t expect from a pick-up-and-play title.
Being a roguelike, luck plays a significant role, and oftentimes I found myself stuck in defeat when a victory seemed tantalizingly close. This was partly due to the challenge of healing during encounters and the randomness of missing that crucial critical hit. Failures meant starting from scratch, no matter how far I’d progressed, making my deepest foray feel like sheer luck rather than skill. This unpredictability might deter some players and often led me to step away. Despite this, Peglin’s simple yet addictive allure kept coaxing me back to see if I could push further each time.
Peglin isn’t for everyone. Its roguelike essence mixed with an element of chance took its time to win me over. The lack of well-explained mechanics and limited influence over the board left me frustrated. Yet, underneath it all, there’s a solid game that had a mysterious pull, urging me to try again and again. Executing a perfect combo to crush a boss in record time is incredibly rewarding. While it requires patience to master, once you get into the groove, it’s hard to put down. Ultimately, Peglin shines as a fantastic game to have running in the background—an experience players will likely return to repeatedly. And although I can’t predict the future, I have a strong feeling Peglin will remain a staple for quite some time.
