Part 1 (Sep 2023) · #8 of 9 in that tierWatch the moment (1:48:12)
Peglin
- Developed by
- Red Nexus Games Inc.
- Published by
- Red Nexus Games Inc., IndieArk
$19.99
Peglin is a Pachinko Roguelike - Fight enemies by collecting special orbs and popping pegs to deal damage. Acquire special relics that radically change the game and ensure no two runs are the same. Aim carefully to survive in this unique turn-based RPG!
Consensus
B72.2/100
Steam players83.7% positiveVery Positive17,720 reviews
Metacritic ↗76/100Users: 6.9/10
VG Insights estimate ↗≈712K copies · ≈$10.2M gross
What creators say
Ranked Jun 2023 · #10 of 18 in that tierWatch the moment (0:47:25)
Ranked Sep 2024 · #4 of 6 in that tierWatch the moment (0:15:01)
Ranked Apr 2023 · #2 of 42 in that tierWatch the moment (2:03:54)
Ranked Mar 2025 · #7 of 11 in that tierListen to the episode
What players say
A Peggle-style pachinko roguelite from Red Nexus Games where you launch orbs at pegs to damage enemies while collecting relics and upgrading orbs across a run.
Peglin is well liked by players (Steam 'Very Positive', about 84% of roughly 17.7k reviews) and mixed-to-favorable among the few critics who covered it (Metacritic 76 from 8 reviews on Switch, user score 6.9 from 29 ratings). The core loop of bouncing orbs around a peg board and building synergies with relics is widely called addictive and great for short sessions, including on Steam Deck, Switch and mobile. The recurring complaints are heavy RNG, only three acts for most of the game's life, steep late-game (Cruciball) difficulty and repetition. It launched in Early Access in April 2022, hit 1.0 and Switch on Aug 27, 2024, and is still being updated; a 2.0 update in March 2026 reportedly added a fourth act, new items, enemies and music.
Players love
- The Peggle-meets-Slay-the-Spire premise is fresh and the core loop of aiming, bouncing and watching damage numbers climb is described as satisfying and dopamine-heavy
- Easy to learn and pick up; runs are short (one reviewer averages about 50 minutes) and the game can be saved and resumed, which suits casual or chill play
- Build variety through orbs and relics; finding a combination that clicks and improvising around what you are offered is a common highlight
- Multiple characters and the Cruciball difficulty ladder give replay value and let players choose between relaxed and punishing runs
- Charming pixel art and music, and a developer team that keeps patching and is praised for listening to feedback
- Works well on handheld and mobile (Steam Deck, Switch); Metacritic critics singled out the Switch version
- Very high playtimes among fans (several reviewers report 250 to over 2,000 hours)
Common complaints
- Heavy RNG: orb trajectories are hard to control, so luck can outweigh skill, which critics and many negative Steam reviews cite
- Limited content for a long stretch: only three acts plus a final boss, so runs feel samey and players can see everything quickly (the 2026 fourth act is meant to address this)
- Uneven option balance: some relics and orbs are seen as near-useless while others are mandatory at higher difficulty
- Cruciball levels add nerfs and tougher enemies rather than new mechanics, which some see as lazy difficulty scaling
- Some enemy types and encounters (long-range damage you cannot avoid, the Wall boss, lines of exploding goblins) are cited as run-ending regardless of build
- Unlocking characters and the true ending relies on grinding large counters such as debuffs applied or coins spent
- Synergy traps: boss orbs with negative damage can silently break builds if you do not know how items interact
- Price ($19.99) is questioned by some given the amount of content; many recommend buying on sale
Can feel tedious
- Grinding character unlocks and the true ending via large cumulative counters
- Repetition of the same three biomes and similar boss encounters across many runs
- Navigating the map by shooting a ball and hoping it lands on the path you want
- Late-game frustration at Cruciball 5+, where reviewers report physics feeling erratic, refresh orbs in awkward spots, and enemies that counter common builds
- Runs that go badly snowball with little chance to recover, which some find miserable
- Anti-save-scum rule after Oct 2025 interfering with short stop-and-resume sessions
What's unique
- Pachinko/Peggle physics as the combat system in a turn-based roguelite, where you aim at enemies and pegs rather than play cards
- Orbs act as the deck: you add and upgrade orbs, and relics modify how pegs and damage behave
- Board layout and peg interaction matter more than a typical deckbuilder, yet the goal is damage accumulation rather than clearing the board like Peggle
- Cruciball difficulty system for scaling challenge after winning
- Began as a 48-hour game jam prototype ('Goblin Drop') and later won Best Design at the 2022 Taipei Game Show per Wikipedia
Players want
- More acts, areas, enemies, characters, orbs and relics; a recurring request even from positive reviewers
- An endless or post-final-boss mode so players can keep testing builds and see new orbs without risking them early in a run
- Let players choose map routes instead of having to shoot a ball and hope it lands on the desired path
- Rework the late-game difficulty so it comes from interesting enemy design rather than stat nerfs and unavoidable damage
- Better balance and clearer communication of item interactions and effect names for new players
- Revisit the anti-save-scum behavior added in late Oct 2025 that, per a top negative review, counts quitting and resuming after a short session as save scumming and can ruin the run
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
DeckbuildingRogue-liteRogue-likePinballTurn-BasedStrategyPerma DeathPixel GraphicsCute2D
Similar games
More runs with shared subgenres and Steam tags.
Tier list Part 1 (2023)
Peglin is a Peggle-style roguelike where you launch a ball at pegs and the result damages enemies. He calls it a great example of someone taking a unique idea and making it a roguelike. He has put hundreds of hours into it over several years and keeps returning as it gets regular updates. He places it in S tier, while saying it is not quite the masterpiece of the other S tier games.
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