CloverPit Review

Following the success of Balatro and, more recently, Ball x Pit, I’m loving these unique roguelite experiences coming to the forefront. Had I known Cloverpit was going to come to Xbox, I wouldn’t have invested in the game on Steam a few weeks beforehand. Actually, I had a bit of a dabble with this game before it graced consoles with its presence. What I’ve found here is we have a game that sinks its hooks into you and doesn’t let go. Developed by Panik Arcade and published by Future Friends Games, the game is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, along with Xbox Play Anywhere functionality. Purchase it once and play across all of your devices. Those with an Xbox Game Pass subscription are in luck, since the game is available with the Ultimate tier.

Gameplay

Cloverpit looks simplistic on the face of things, but actually, it goes much deeper than pulling a one-armed bandit machine. It is built around survival, debt management and stringing big combos in order to keep going. You’re trapped in a cell, and using the slot machine, you must use coins to attempt to gain more. Any coins earned must be used to pay off your debt before the round ends. Fail, and you’re dead.

What is exciting here, though, is using charms to bend the rules of the machine. Whilst just spinning the machine can generate coins, manipulation and stacking bonuses can extend into longer fruitful runs. Overall, though, runs are short, really intense and totally unpredictable, which is very much like gambling itself. Choosing how to spend your coins and tickets, whether it’s on debts or charms to strategise your run, is where it starts becoming more interesting.

Each spin feels like a gamble for your life, and death is the end of the run, but learning the quirks of the machine pushes you on further. The tone of the game is unsettling, and the number of times you scrape through a round by the skin of your teeth makes you feel on edge.

Visuals & Audio

Cloverpit does an excellent job of making you feel claustrophobic in the dark, gritty and grimy aesthetic. Colours are intentionally dark and dirty with reds, browns and greens. Being within this atmosphere is unsettling, and you almost feel like you’re trapped in a prison. Animations are rough and jittery, lighting flickers and has a grainy tinted layer across its presentation. The only vivid splashes of colour you’ll see is lighting up the slot machine with wins and matching combos.

Audio design matches the mood of the visuals, with the ambient noise being the most prominent. Buzzing, rattling, and creaks have you on the edge just as much as the close-to-the-nail gameplay. Spins of the machine sound clunky, with wins having chimes that don’t sound like your regular win down at the jackpot machine down at the pub. The design team have done great work with the overall package when it comes to how the game looks and feels to play.

Final Thoughts

Cloverpit is similar to games such as Balatro with that “One more run” mindset. The number of times I convinced myself that my next run would be more improved compared to the last, I lost count. Before I knew it, a few hours had passed, by pulling that lever over and over again. With over 150 charms and different synergies, it makes gameplay spontaneous and thrilling when you crack the code of rinsing coins galore from the machine. Be prepared, though to fail much more than you succeed, but this is why it is so addictive! You can purchase a copy of the game for Xbox HERE.