I have been writing about how Elden Ring has been a relaxing time. That still holds and is still a great escape, but a new diversion appeared to me this week. Watching a friend of mine Schmean, he started a stream with a game called Peglin. To say I was intrigued was an understatement.
Turn based roguelike adventures like Slay the Spire have been very popular recently. Peglin is another of these games, but instead of using cards to combat enemies, you play Pachinko!
If Pachinko doesn’t ring any bells, and you are old enough, you play Peggle to beat up the bad guys. If you don’t remember Peggle, ummm… Reverse pinball? 🥲
Years ago I played Peggle to zone out for a little bit. Levels were reasonably quick, and jumping in for one level was a bit sized gaming session. Couple that with a quest, and I was always going to give it a try.

Well, I say try. To be clear right now, Peglin is in early access. There are ‘only’ 3 levels made up of multiple paths, and I managed to clear the game after about 7-8 hours of play.
This might sound like an overpriced demo to some, but Peglin already has more to offer. Being a roguelike, the multiple paths and a big boss at the end are set, every area and level boss changes. That alone offers a lot of replayability. There is also a heap of artifacts (power ups) and events thrown in that can make or break a run!

Your weapons are orbs that are launched into the Pachinko board. There are strengths for each orb, and maybe a special power. Each time you hit a brick that launch, the strength is added per brick and is what you hit the enemy with. That’s it. Peglin’s strength is in its simplicity. Yes, you are facing endless hordes on an adventure. But all you need to concentrate on is watching a ball bounce around!
I have managed to beat all three levels and unlock Cruciball mode. On a surface level, this gives you one extra starter ‘ball’, but lowers the strength of your stones (basic orbs). I am assuming when I beat Cruciball level 1 (where I am now), level 2 will add another difficulty modifier.

For the moment, I am most likely done with Peglin and swung back to Elden Ring. But I will be watching Steam for notifications of updates and new features. For example, multiple characters to choose from is coming soon. That could add a few new twists to the gameplay.
Even as it stands now though, Peglin is a fun little experience that I have been enjoying.