Peglin Review

As soon as I clapped eyes on indie title Peglin, I knew it was my cup of tea just from looking at the screenshots. If you remember the original Peggle title from PopCap in 2007 and the subsequent release of Peggle 2, then you’ll know how incredibly addictive they both were, alongside some of the spin-offs. Peglin takes the similarities of those experiences but runs with its roguelike adventure within the gameplay loop, making it just as spontaneous but adding an extra layer of enjoyment. I’ve spent over 20 hours with this one with no sign of stopping, and it easily nestles in as one of the indie gems you need to try in 2025.

It’s A Peg Life

This is a game that even the most casual of players can indulge in, and if you’re familiar with the Peggle titles, then you’ll be right at home. The premise is to fire orbs into a pit of pegs, and the more you hit, the more damage you’ll inflict on the oncoming enemies at the top of your screen. After each round, you’ll follow a series of paths towards the final boss, and upgrading orbs between rounds is key to gaining an advantage. You can upgrade orbs to become bigger, multiply, heal yourself, inflict more damage and more.

Pegs alter sporadically as well; if you hit one with an R inside it, for instance, it’ll return all extinguished pegs to the board. I always aimed for this as it’ll stand you in good stead to deal more damage as you fill the empty voids on the board with pegs again. Some pegs’ll deal critical damage if you hit them first before several others. Other pegs will allow you to hurl bombs into the field of battle, which again, will be a huge advantage to you. I found that when you get to the boss stages, this is where orb placement matters if you want to finish the run without dying.

Visuals & Audio

Peglin has a retro presentation that complements the vibe it is going for. The bottom of the screen is where the core gameplay will take place. The peg board will alter depending on how you play, with them disappearing when hit or returning if you hit the right pegs. You’ll see at the top the enemies that will be coming towards you, as you fire your shots, you’ll see how this affects how things run with attack and defence. There are indicators above enemies showing you how much health they have remaining. This is handy if you need to know who to attack first. The HUD/UI to the left of the screen are clear and concise with informing you which orbs are upcoming and your health. Sound is very minimal here, with sound effects for hitting pins/attacking enemies and a varied soundtrack with some other audio blending in here and there.

Final Thoughts

I had a fantastic time with Peglin, and there is a potential for plenty of hours of gameplay if you want to achieve everything the game has to offer. It is indeed a game of luck in some respects, as you can only really project the direction of your shots, but you do influence how the game plays out with your choices throughout the game. Some runs take persistence, and you’re destined to fail many times, but I found this where the fun factor was. Working my way to the final bosses in the hope that how I played would either take them down quickly or chip away at them was intriguing.

If you enjoyed the Peggle games and also like your roguelikes, then this is a mash-up that simply works well. For the amount of hours you get in return, it’s a worthy investment of just over £16. With a huge whack of user reviews being in the very positive category over on Steam on PC, that speaks volumes. Whilst this was released back in 2024 on PC and Nintendo Switch, it is one of the best indie titles I’ve had the pleasure of playing on an Xbox in 2025.