Hello fellow Hivians!

So I've been away from Hive for quite some time as I had lost my job, found a new one, and started getting acclimated with my new position. I've finally settled in and have decided to come back to Hive to talk about some of the games I've been playing. Of course I've been playing through the big name games ie Legend of Zelda: TOTK etc but what I'd really like to chat up are all the smaller indie games. So today lets chat Peglin!

So what exactly is Peglin?

Well... my latest gaming obsession! If you ever had a blast with the arcade classic Peggle and enjoy rouge-like games such as Vampire Survivors which I have talked about in the past, then Red Nexus Games' latest creation will absolutely satisfy your itch.

Peglin takes the charming ball-bouncing concept of Peggle and transforms it into an epic rouge-like adventure that'll keep you hooked for hours. Here's the deal: you are essentially playing Peggle ie bouncing orbs and stones around within ingeniously designed arenas, such as one of the early arenas shown below, but with a twist – your peggle upgrades such as 'multibounce' will be used to unleash damage on incoming enemies!

This game is a perfect blend of adventure and rogue-like elements and honestly surprised me. With each run, the stakes are high, and every shot you take can make or break you. I've currently completed multiple run, and I couldn't wait to embark on the next one after each, hoping for even cooler combinations of treasures and orbs.

The gameplay loop isn't exactly inventive but it's both relaxing and immersive. The game essentially follows the same formula from Slay the Spire which you should also play at some point. As you kick off your journey, you'll choose a character, wield a relic that grants you a passive ability and a few stones for some standard enemy-bopping. But when you start bouncing orbs and hitting pegs, the real magic happens. The more pegs you hit or activate, the more damage you'll deal to foes. There are critical damage pegs, pegs that refresh the playing field for extra hits, bomb pegs for massive AoE damage, and more. It really is simple yet exhilarating and every shot counts as enemies typically progress and close in on you or attack you after each shot.

As you continue to play you'll unlock new characters however I've currently only played with 3 of the 4. The characters are relatively similar but do have different starting setups and each have a few unique orb upgrades. They personally seem quite balanced and unlocking them was challenging.

Similar to Slay the Spire you chart your own path via routes on the randomly generated map. Each encounter will have you facing more enemies, encountering random events, or unearthing precious treasures. One thing I enjoyed here is the route selection screen is yet again another peg board so even if you opt for one direction, a poorly aimed shot could send you the opposite way into a mini-boss fight or a store when you have no gold.

After each triumphant battle, you'll have a tough decision to make: choose from random orbs, upgrade existing orbs, or replenish your much-needed health. With a diverse array of orbs and relic abilities, each run feels fresh although I've definitely come to find there are a few 'best in class' builds for each character.

Here I purchased Multiball and debated upgrading to lvl 2. Each orb can generally be upgraded 3 times however there are exceptions that you will find out as you play.

Now, for the downsides:

Similar to Slay the Spire, after a few runs, game pacing slows down, and the repetition of the same sequence of areas can get a tad dull. Though this is standard and part of the challenging narrative and rogue-like style, I think additional zones would go a long way. It is in early access so this is entirely possible. Additionally, The 8-bit art style doesn't quite work as well as some other games and the visuals often have hard edges distorting the overall cutesy appearance of the game.

Nonetheless, Peglin is an absolute delight and is an addictive concoction of classic rogue-like thrills and brings back memories of the playful charm Peggle had. The rush of collecting powers, encountering new orbs, and taking on sometimes impossible bosses keeps you coming back for more, regardless of the occasional snags.

Its currently $20 on Steam though it does seem to be included in the various Steam sales so you might wish to wait and pick it up. Overall I'd say totally worth a buy even at $20 and you'll easily get at least $2/hour worth of entertainment out of it.

Interested in Splinterlands? How to join my guild:

To join Disciples of Helio please complete the below steps:

1. Join our Guild Discord channel.
2. Once in discord introduce yourself with a bit of your Splinterlands background and why you are interested.
3. Pay our monthly 100 DEC or 2 SPS membership fee to @acolytesofhelio

Guild Requirements:

We strive to have an active membership that is interested in both Splinterlands and the idea of working together. As such we have a few requirements:

1. Keep current with guild membership fees: 100 Dec per month or 2 SPS
2. Interact with the guild regularly on Discord. Discord is our primary communication medium
3. Post on Hive. At the end of the day, we value members that value the Hive environment. Our members have all grown their Hive accounts by actively supporting each other and we expect the same from newer members.

Guild Benefits:

Why join a guild and pay a fee; well because you get benefits to do so of course.

1. Bonus reward points per win: 5% currently
2. Access to Brawls and Gladiator cards
3. Automatic curation from the Guild account for all Hive Posts
4. Voting rights on the fate of the guild and its assets.
5. Free cards with winning all matches during a brawl
6. Access to knowledgeable members to help you build your decks

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