What Exactly Does That Mean?
Pinball, the original arcade game, isn’t a genre one typically associates with role playing mechanics. On the other hand, stats, upgrades, special abilities, and epic quests have found their way into pretty much every other genre at this point, from sports games to shooters, so why not pinball? This is a question indie devs Phantom Compass answered with authority in their one-of-a-kind genre mashup Rollers of the Realm, and they’re taking things even further with the highly-anticipated sequel, Rollers of the Realm: Reunion, headed to PC in 2022. If you’re wondering how the heck they took two disparate genres and managed to throw them together into a highly entertaining and engaging gameplay experience, we’re here to help!
Step 1: Go download the original game (There’s a free demo, or pick up the full game for $9.99 USD!)
Step 2: Watch the new “What is a Pinball RPG” video below
First things first, the Rollers series are pinball games, which means the core gameplay is exactly what you’d expect: a small, heavy ball is launched into a playing field, where the physics engine kicks in and sees the ball bouncing, rolling, and smashing its way down towards the flippers. Okay, that’s pinball. We all know how that works. So how does Rollers of the Realm: Reunion innovate on a tried-n-true formula that’s remained more or less the same for nearly 100 years? This is where the real fun begins!
In Rollers of the Realm: Reunion, players are reunited with the Rogue, Knight, Mage, and Healer who will need to leap back into the fray after some nasty goblins make a shocking appearance in town. They’ll have to “roll” up their sleeves and get back to what they do best: saving the realm!
It wouldn’t be an RPG without a cast of endearing characters with special skills that open up a variety of different approaches to completing a level. In the case of Rollers, where the balls are the characters, each spherical personality brings something different to the table. The Knight, for example, is a heavy, large ball that’s really good at smashing things and the Rogue does extra damage when attacking from behind. In classic RPG form, you’ll need to use each character’s unique abilities in tandem to win the day and emerge victorious! Defeating enemies and completing quests rewards the player with XP, which can be used to increase individual stats and make your characters more powerful than ever!
Of course, every RPG needs sweet new items and weapons, spells, and a currency with which to purchase them, and the world of Rollers is filled with nifty loot and shiny gold for purchasing said nifty loot. A new helmet, for example, might make your Knight that much stronger and capable of blasting through foes, and a fancy new set of boots will make your Rogue “roll” a little faster. Equipping your party with the right items is paramount to success, and Rollers has plenty of sweet gear to discover as you roll and smash your way through a delightful fantasy land filled with an archetypical cast of gruff soldiers, enigmatic mystics, and clueless nobles.
So there you have it! It’s pinball. It’s an RPG. It’s like nothing you’ve played before.
A free demo for Rollers of the Realm is available for a limited time on Steam. The full game is available for Windows PC for $9.99 USD.
The bigger, bolder, and roll-ier sequel, Rollers of the Realm: Reunion, will launch in 2022 on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
