The new survival game Ball x Pit has started very positively on Steam and has already generated millions of dollars in revenue. Apparently, the developer and one of his friends were clear about that years ago.
Which game is it? Ball x Pit is a survival roguelite with fusion elements. You fight hordes of enemies with bouncing balls and collect treasures to expand your home, generate resources, and recruit unique heroes. Imagine a combination of Vampire Survivors and the classic Breakout.
The game, developed by Kenny Sun and Friends and published by Devolver Digital, celebrated its release on October 15, 2025. The nearly 9,500 reviews on Steam are 94 percent positive. According to steamdb.info, more than 35,400 players were online in Ball x Pit at peak two weeks ago. Currently, the game consistently has over 10,000 players.
Success by design
Can success be planned? Additional numbers come from a report by Jason Schreier on bloomberg.com. Ball x Pit has allegedly sold over 750,000 copies on Steam. At a price of 14.99 euros per version, this already makes a gross revenue of 11.2 million euros.
Remarkably, developer Kenny Sun had a strong feeling years ago that he was developing a hit. When he showed the prototype to a friend, the friend is said to have confirmed his suspicions with the words: “This game will make a million dollars.”
With the help of Devolver. The publisher is known for having a good nose for small but fine indie gems. In the summer, they provided Ball x Pit with a 10-minute preview video titled: BALL x PIT: The Kenny Sun Story. See for yourself:
In a time when countless games are released every day, chasing all current trends, each new project fights for attention and the players’ time, leading to a large number of flops, it is nearly impossible to develop a hit by design.
Kenny Sun seems to have succeeded. But not on the first try. The developer had previously released other games, including the roguelite platformer Mr. Sun’s Hatbox. Although it also has a strong 85 percent positive on Steam, it sold poorly.
What does the community say about the game? They especially praise the unique gaming experience and the motivating roguelite system.
- Fluffless writes on Steam: “Addictive roguelike. Unique gameplay.”
- Depressyv admits on Steam: “One more round … but I’m not addicted.”
- Totenkreuz is surprised on Steam: “It’s way more fun than expected. The component adds a whole world of features and improvements that are very well thought out and implemented. For me, the best of its kind so far.”
If there is criticism, it concerns the still relatively low number of different levels, the short rounds that often end when you’ve built a strong combo, and the random factor that can sometimes be a bit annoying.
On Steam, there are often indie gems that go viral and generate a lot of attention in a short time. One of these games is Buckshot Roulette. The developer of this title reported in July about his sudden success and how the hit has changed his life: Developer on Steam builds a small game in 2 months, sells it for 3 € and is now a millionaire
