I’ve always been one to shy away from games like Peggle. The passive gameplay, where you mostly just watch and wait, hasn’t really clicked with me. However, when Peglin suddenly dropped on the Nintendo Switch after a Nintendo Direct, my curiosity was piqued. I wondered if it might capture my interest like a laid-back idle game would. My growing appreciation for pinball-like mechanics fueled my hope that this could be a blend of both worlds. Sadly, while Peglin didn’t completely convert me into a fan of pachinko-style games, its core mechanics had me coming back for more orb-slinging action against those pesky enemies.
Picture this: Peglin, a roguelike indie title, has you battling enemies across various areas, leveling up your gear and skills before facing off against a formidable boss. It’s not breaking any new ground; what you see is pretty much what you get. Its pixel art style, reminiscent of something out of Microsoft Paint, doesn’t stand out to me, but it serves its purpose. A nice mix of enemy types and environments keeps the journey lively and engaging.
Now, the gameplay is where Peglin could either win you over or lose you altogether. Imagine firing an orb onto a peg-filled board. Each peg you hit adds to the final damage your orb will inflict on enemies positioned atop the board. Your main control is choosing where to aim your orb, but certain pegs have special effects—some reward you with more coins, others enhance damage, offer critical hits, or add unique attack properties. After each round, you can either purchase new orbs to add to your lineup or upgrade your current ones. The lineup is shuffled with every encounter, so expect surprise combinations. While there’s a satisfying balance to these choices, they aren’t without their challenges. For instance, I snagged a multiball item that doubled my orbs when fired, but with the caveat of restricting my shooting angles. This push and pull adds depth to battles, with bosses capable of complicating your board, like sticking obstructions between pegs or spawning fresh enemies.
As for my personal take on Peglin, it’s a mixed bag. There’s the thrill of launching those orbs and racking up damage, reminiscent of a classic pinball game. Yet, there’s an undeniable passive aspect to it. Post-launch, strategic moves are limited—while you can choose targets for elemental attacks, especially crucial in boss fights, that’s about the extent of it. This detachment is compounded by a lack of clear tutorials on game mechanics. It wasn’t until later that I realized I could discard orbs to speed up access to others with specific enemy-contingent elemental damage. This learning curve felt more like strategizing than playing, which posed a bit of an obstacle for me.
Being a roguelike, Peglin involves spinning the wheel of chance quite a bit. I often found myself stuck in battles I should have won, either due to scarce health recovery between encounters or missing critical pegs needed for heavy damage. There’s no progressive improvement to your attacks—each attempt means starting anew. My farthest game runs felt like lucky streaks rather than skillful accomplishments, which can deter some players, leading me to step back from the game for extended breaks. Yet, Peglin’s simple, mesmerizing gameplay kept luring me back, sparking the urge to dive in again and again.
Peglin isn’t tailored for everyone. The game’s roguelike structure, paired with its dependency on luck, took me a while to appreciate fully. Unclear mechanics and limited control over the board frustrated me. However, there’s a solid game at its heart, one that managed to reel me back time after time. Pulling off a flawless combination of attacks and elemental damage to topple a boss in a few shots is undeniably thrilling. While it took a bit for me to warm up to it, once I was hooked, it was hard to stop. Ultimately, Peglin feels like one of those enduring background games people might revisit frequently. While I can’t predict the future, I have a hunch Peglin might just linger around for quite some time.
