Peglin - Review

Peglin Review: When Pachinko Met Permadeath

It’s a pitch that sounds almost like a fever dream conjured during a late-night indie game jam: What if you took the bouncy, peg-popping satisfaction of Peggle and fused it with the strategic depth and punishing permadeath of a roguelike deckbuilder like Slay the Spire? That’s Peglin in a nutshell, a game developed by Red Nexus Games where you, a small, green goblin-like creature (the titular Peglin), are on a quest to reclaim your stolen gold from hordes of monsters and, ultimately, some very greedy dragons. Having plunged into its deceptively cute, pixel-art world across numerous runs, I can report that this unlikely marriage mostly works, creating an addictive loop that’s frequently delightful, occasionally frustrating, but undeniably unique.

The Addictive Bounce: Core Gameplay and the Dance with RNG

At its heart, Peglin plays like a turn-based RPG where your attacks are determined by a game of pachinko. Each turn, you select an "orb" from your satchel – essentially your deck of cards – and fire it down a board cluttered with pegs. Hitting pegs racks up damage, which is then unleashed upon your targeted enemy. Special pegs litter the board: Critical pegs ('!') boost your damage significantly, Refresh pegs ('R') replenish cleared pegs, and Bomb pegs explode after a couple of hits, dealing area damage. After your shot, enemies advance or attack, pushing you to clear them before they overwhelm you.   

This core loop is immediately understandable and often immensely satisfying. Lining up a shot that ricochets perfectly, clearing multiple bombs, hitting several crit pegs, and watching an enemy's health bar evaporate is pure gaming joy. But Peglin quickly reveals its roguelike layers. You don't just have one type of orb; you collect and upgrade dozens, each with unique properties. The basic Stone is reliable but weak. The Daggorb rewards hitting crit pegs. The Icircle pierces through multiple foes. The Bob-Orb spawns bombs. The Orboros grows stronger the more pegs it hits. Learning these orbs and deciding which ones to add, upgrade, or discard (you have limited skips per battle) forms the strategic core, much like deckbuilding.   

Complementing the orbs are Relics – passive items found throughout your run that grant powerful, often game-altering effects. One might reflect damage back at attackers, another might automatically refresh pegs, while others boost specific orb types or add status effects. Finding synergies between your orbs and relics is paramount. A run can transform from a struggle to a cakewalk (or vice-versa) based on a single relic pickup. A bomb-focused build with relics that increase bomb damage and spawn rate feels vastly different from a crit-heavy build leveraging the Daggorb and crit-boosting relics.   

However, this is where Peglin's relationship with Random Number Generation (RNG) becomes complex and, at times, contentious. Luck plays a massive role, arguably more so than in many comparable roguelikes. Firstly, the pachinko physics themselves, while generally functional, can feel "squirrely". Predicting complex bounces is difficult, especially on crowded boards or those with awkward starting positions. While aiming for the first few bounces is possible, beyond that, you're often praying to the physics gods. This inherent randomness is part of the pachinko charm, but it can clash with the strategic demands of a roguelike RPG.   

Secondly, the randomness extends deeply into the progression system. Which orbs and relics you're offered after battles or find in chests is entirely random. This means sometimes you simply won't get the pieces needed for the build you're attempting, or you'll be offered relics that actively hinder your current setup. While adapting to what the game gives you is a core roguelike skill, Peglin's reliance on specific synergies can make runs feel predetermined by luck, leading to frustration when a promising run fizzles out due to poor draws. Even choosing your path on the map after a battle involves firing your Peglin at one of several exits, adding another layer of chance. This heavy reliance on RNG means that while skill in aiming and strategic planning is necessary, it often feels like luck holds the deciding vote, especially in later difficulties.

Delving Deeper: Roguelike Structure and Replayability

Like any good roguelike, defeat in Peglin means starting over from scratch – permadeath is in full effect. Each run takes you through a series of branching paths across distinct zones: the Forest, the Castle, and the Mines. You navigate a map, choosing between standard enemy encounters, elite battles (tougher fights yielding better relics), treasure chests, shops (where you can buy orbs/relics and, crucially, remove unwanted starting orbs), and random events. These events often present narrative choices with varying outcomes, adding a touch of unpredictability beyond combat.   

Successfully navigating these three zones and defeating the final boss of the Mines constitutes winning a run. But the journey doesn't end there. Upon victory, you unlock the "Cruciball" mode, a scaling difficulty system reminiscent of Slay the Spire's Ascension levels. Each Cruciball level (up to 20 currently mentioned, though updates might change this) adds a negative modifier to your run – enemies might have more health, certain pegs might hurt you, or other handicaps apply. This system provides significant long-term challenge and replayability for dedicated players, pushing them to optimize builds and master the mechanics under increasingly harsh conditions. However, some players find Cruciball levels can feel like a grind, amplifying the frustrations with RNG rather than adding fundamentally new strategic layers.   

Further adding to replayability are the different playable classes. You start as the standard Peglin, but through specific in-game achievements (like winning a battle with high health remaining or inflicting enough 'Spinfection' status), you can unlock others like the Balladin, Roundrel, and Spinventor. Each class starts with unique orbs and relics, encouraging different playstyles right from the beginning. The Spinventor, for instance, might focus on the 'Spin' mechanic, while the Balladin could lean towards defensive or healing strategies. Unlocking these classes feels rewarding and provides genuine motivation to experiment with different approaches. The game also features an "Encirclepedia" which tracks encountered monsters, orbs, and relics, offering helpful information and a sense of collection progress.   

Presentation: Charming Pixels, Crushing Silence

Visually, Peglin employs a charming pixel art style. The titular Peglin is cute, enemies are distinct (ranging from simple slimes to imposing knights and creepy spiders), and the different environments – forests, castles, fiery mines – provide adequate visual variety. While the art style "works well enough" and has a certain indie appeal, it doesn't necessarily break new ground or feel particularly polished compared to some pixel art standouts. It serves its purpose functionally, clearly conveying information during battles, but it's unlikely to be the main draw for most players. The user interface is generally clean and intuitive, though some tooltips for status effects or complex relic interactions could be clearer.

Where the presentation truly falters, however, is the audio. For a game drawing heavy inspiration from Peggle – a title renowned for its incredibly satisfying sound design, where every ping, pop, and "Ode to Joy" crescendo enhanced the experience – Peglin's audio landscape is bafflingly quiet and underwhelming. Peg impacts often lack satisfying weight, enemy sound effects are minimal, and the music, while occasionally catchy (like the forest theme), is largely forgettable and fades into the background. The only truly impactful sound often comes from detonating multiple bombs simultaneously. This lack of audio feedback is a significant missed opportunity. It fails to capitalize on the inherent satisfaction of the pachinko mechanic, making successful shots feel less rewarding than they should. It contributes to the game feeling less polished and has led some, myself included, to label it a "podcast game" – one where you almost need external audio to stay fully engaged.   

Highs and Lows: My Overall Peglin Experience

Playing Peglin is often a rollercoaster of emotions. The highs are genuinely high:

• That perfect shot where your orb bounces seemingly forever, hitting every bomb and refresh peg, clearing the board and obliterating the enemy.   

• Finally overcoming a tough boss like the Slime Boss or the Wall after multiple failed attempts, your specific build finally clicking.   

• Discovering a ridiculously overpowered synergy between an orb and a couple of relics that makes you feel like an unstoppable Peglin God, mowing down enemies with ease.   

• The simple, almost meditative fun of the core loop when you're just bouncing orbs and watching pegs disappear, especially in the early stages of a run.   

But the lows can be equally potent:

• Having a promising run cut short purely because the game refused to offer you any healing orbs or defensive relics.   

• Facing a boss that hard-counters your build (like needing piercing damage against summoned minions when you have none) due to unlucky pathing or relic drops.   

• The frustration of needing to hit a specific refresh peg to stay alive, only for the unpredictable physics to send your orb everywhere but there.   

• The underwhelming thud when you expected a satisfying ping, constantly reminding you of the missed audio potential.   

• Hitting a wall in the higher Cruciball levels where the difficulty spikes feel less like a strategic challenge and more like a test of your tolerance for bad luck.   

There's a sense that the initial discovery phase, learning the orbs and relics and achieving your first few wins, is where Peglin shines brightest. While the Cruciball and class unlocks offer replayability, the core experience can start to feel repetitive for some once the novelty wears off, especially if runs frequently end due to factors feeling outside the player's control.   

So, who is Peglin for? If you enjoy roguelikes, particularly deckbuilders like Slay the Spire or Monster Train, and have a fondness for physics-based puzzle games like Peggle, this is a must-try. Its core concept is clever and often executed brilliantly. You need a healthy tolerance for RNG, however. If you prefer roguelikes where skill and meticulous planning can overcome almost any luck, or if you demand polished presentation (especially audio), you might find Peglin occasionally grating.   

The Final Reckoning: Verdict and Score

Peglin successfully delivers on its bizarre premise, creating a unique and often captivating blend of pachinko physics and roguelike strategy. The core loop of bouncing orbs, popping pegs, and building powerful synergies is undeniably addictive. Discovering new orbs and relics, unlocking classes, and the sheer joy of a perfectly executed shot provide moments of pure gaming bliss. The pixel art is charming, and the strategic depth offered by orb and relic combinations can be genuinely compelling.   

However, the experience is hampered by its heavy reliance on RNG, which can sometimes overshadow player skill and lead to frustrating, seemingly unwinnable situations. The profoundly underwhelming sound design is a major letdown, actively detracting from the satisfaction the core mechanic should provide. While the Cruciball system adds longevity, it can also exacerbate RNG issues and feel repetitive for some players after the initial novelty fades.   

It's a game brimming with clever ideas and moments of brilliance, yet it feels like it stops just short of greatness due to these persistent flaws. It’s a delightful, often maddening, but ultimately worthwhile experience for fans of its blended genres.

Final Score: 7/10