Ballionaire is a pachinko roguelike where you build your board as you play

A trend of gambling-inspired games has emerged following the success of Balatro, a poker-like deckbuilding roguelike. The formula? Take a traditional casino game of chance, add numerous bells and whistles, gadgets, and quirky elements, coat it in a “one more turn” roguelike style, and make it as engaging and interactive as possible. The ongoing Steam Next Fest offers a variety of these unique games, but one demo that caught our eye is Ballionaire, a colorful pachinko-inspired roguelike where players can strategically place various widgets.

Despite the chaotic appearance in the trailer, Ballionaire is actually quite straightforward. Players release a ball from the top of the board and observe as it navigates through the pins, earning cash for each interaction. Certain bumpers, known as “triggers,” offer special abilities. For instance, an axe can split the ball, enabling it to trigger more gadgets. A teleporter can send the ball back to the top for another round. Players can also choose from different elemental-themed balls like fire, water, and even a chicken egg.

The game becomes increasingly zany as players progress through levels, aiming for higher payouts to satisfy the gods. Players can plant cacti patches to earn money when left untouched, or create culinary clusters with ingredients that the ball collects for additional earnings. The gameplay includes merging ingredients into meals for extra profits before a hungry mouth at the bottom of the board devours everything.

Give the demo a try before Steam Next Fest concludes (ending on Monday). It’s a fun and whimsical hour of ball-bouncing entertainment. Pachinko has been a source of inspiration for other games like Peggle and Peglin, drawing from the traditional Japanese gambling machine.

While the rise of gambling-themed games raises concerns about psychological tactics and industry practices, the developer of Balatro has taken a stance against such exploitation, ensuring the game remains true to its original intent.