As much as I fancy myself a deeply strategic RPG or challenging precision platformer, I’ve got plenty of room in my heart (and Steam library) for effervescent, habit-forming arcade hits. Meet STICKER/BALL, the all-new pinball-like deckbuilder from developer bilge, the creator of 1-bit horror game PAGER, and CloverPit publisher Future Friends Games. This pixel-art “pool game roguelike from the future” drops players right into a hectic (and, at times, confusing) ball battle bursting with silly stickers, maddening die, and kaleidoscopic combos. “Battle a gauntlet of weird opponents, unlock cool new stickers, and stack crazy combos for lots and lots of points. Once you run out of balls it’s game over,” the game’s Steam description explains, “But you can take what you learned and try again!”
In STICKER/BALL, players are forced into the mix. Beyond a few general gameplay suggestions shown in the livestream-like HUD, players are largely left to figure out STICKER/BALL for themselves. Seems straightforward, right? Launch balls from varying points on the bottom of your display, rely on ricochets to rack up points, yada yada. I thought the same thing — ’til the esoteric stickers entered the equation. These in-game adhesives run the gamut, each one’s abilities capable of flipping the entire run on its head. Nonsensical, whimsical, unrelenting, and uncontrollably addictive. STICKER/BALL is a three-ring circus, and you’re the emcee.
STICKER/BALL is a silly, high-energy hit for all roguelike deckbuilder fans
STICKER/BALL opens in medias res, dropping players into the action with no significant explanation or tutorial. Rather than looking around at a loss, a la Travolta in Pulp Fiction, players should lean into the lawlessness. Shoot the ball. See what happens. Stick with it. You’ll be in high gear soon enough, slinging and strategizing shots like a marksman.
Start each game with a single die and a ball you’ll shoot from the small gray marker at the bottom of your display. This marker moves often, so don’t get too attached to placement. Don’t get too attached to anything, really. Lights flash, oddball stickers kickstart quirky combos, fixtures go flying, and by the time your next turn starts, you’re staring at a screen you no longer recognize.
STICKER/BALL goes off the rails in every run. Nothing really means anything, but at the same time, everything serves a unique, identifiable purpose. Whether you’ll ever see anything matter, though, I can’t say. That’s entirely dependent upon your ability to embrace the chaos. If a sticker introduces a person or critter to the playfield, you may want to play a sticker that affects humans or animals next.
Many stickers are tangible items, such as poop and spiders, while others represent abstract ideas. The “multiverse” sticker says “your consciousness swaps with another you in a very similar parallel universe,” but adds that “it is a painless process and you won’t notice anything.” Wait, so how does that work? Mess around in STICKER/BALL ’til you find out. No guarantees your consciousness’ll remain intact. As I said, in STICKER/BALL, everything’s in flux.
Chaotic combos, few accessibility settings make STICKER/BALL one tough cookie to crack
STICKER/BALL launches with a stark warning for players who may be affected by the game’s near-constant neon flashing and flickering. The start menu includes an additional epilepsy warning in the bottom-left corner: “This game has flashing visuals. Play with caution.” Despite repeated warnings, STICKER/BALL‘s accessibility options lack a “reduce flashing” feature, something increasingly seen in similar balls go brrrr arcade roguelikes. Players can, however, adjust the retro CRT TV-like overlay, smooth on-screen text, and tinker with sound levels.
STICKER/BALL moves at an erratic pace; sometimes, gameplay gives lightspeed a run for its money, but the ability to slow things down (or, hey, even speed it up a bit) would be a nice addition. The “Hurry” checkbox seen in the new indie roguelike, Vampire Crawlers, is just enough to placate fast-paced players. Conversely, a 0.5x could help players affected by rapid on-screen movement. The ability to slow down ball shots could also help folks hoping to understand just what the heck is happening. Some folks enjoy the freedom and ability to unleash hell, but because STICKER/BALL doesn’t offer any substantive gameplay breakdown, players could stand to benefit from the option to slow shots down.
STICKER/BALL: Final thoughts
STICKER/BALL‘s short-‘n-sweet blurb on Steam tells players to “[e]njoy the chaos, it’s on purpose.” Fans of flashy, fast-paced roguelikes are gonna flip over STICKER/BALL the same way they did CloverPit, developer bilge’s slot-machine blockbuster. If you’re a player who prefers organization and structure, however, grab a beta-blocker before getting started. STICKER/BALL touts itself as a roguelike, but the zany gameplay mechanics will also appeal to fans of arcade bubble-breakers. If I’m being honest, STICKER/BALL feels less like a roguelike at times and more like an on-screen rage room — in a good way, of course.
Ultimately, bilge‘s STICKER/BALL is a hit-in-waiting for fans of strategic, run-based games like Dice-a-Million, Raccoin, and Balatro. But STICKER/BALL‘s unguided gameplay adds a divisive level of chaotic confusion. Some fans thrive in the mess, but for others, the pandemonium could be game-ending. I’ll admit I was irritated at first, but stuck with it. Eventually, STICKER/BALL clicked, and frankly, I’m thrilled it did.
Intimidated? Phew. I was, too, but once you get goin’, you’re GOIN’. Wanna give STICKER/BALL a shake? Pick up the full game on Steam today for just $5.59, a launch-day deal that expires on May 18. If you’re a “try before you buy” type, check out the game’s free demo, also available on Steam!
PROS:
- Vibrant visuals, audio
- Virtually endless replayability
- Affordable; great value
CONS:
- Limited accessibility settings
- No substantive tutorial
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