“Ball x Pit,” the latest success story in a seemingly never-ending supply of modern roguelikes, is an absolute blast. By combining the basics of old-school brick breakers with a hypnotic “one more run” gameplay loop, designer Kenny Sun (“Mr. Sun’s Hatbox,” “Yankai’s Diamond”) and his small team of developers created an immediate hit that’s as tactilely satisfying as it is compelling.

After several hours, however, it starts to feel as if “Ball x Pit” could play itself with a reasonable amount of success, and that’s the exact moment when the game gives you a character that does just that.

Every character in “Ball x Pit” has its own unique abilities. The Cohabitants, for instance, shoot two half-damage copies of every ball in opposite directions rather than one while The Shieldbearer holds a large paddle for bouncing balls à la “Breakout” or “Arkanoid.” The Radical, which can be unlocked after completing the penultimate level, is a little different. It doesn’t wildly alter the game’s physics or challenge players with wrinkles in its moment-to-moment gameplay. No, what The Radical lacks in utility, it makes up for with the most revolutionary skill of all: autonomy.

“It was a debug tool I made to test the game without having to play,” Sun told me when asked about The Radical’s origins via email. “Felt like a good way to make use of existing code. It wasn’t too hard to program, but also the AI isn’t that good.”

The Radical handles everything that would normally be under the player’s purview in “Ball x Pit.” It moves, shoots balls, and chooses upgrades all on its own. And while there seems to be no rhyme or reason for how it fleshes out its build, The Radical is pretty dang good at staying alive while hordes of monsters march down the screen. The first time you put down the controller and watch as it zips around the screen, deftly finding firing angles and dispatching enemies with ease, is delightful, and the magic trick continues to entertain dozens of hours into the game.

The fact “Ball x Pit” gave me access to The Radical right as I started to realize I was able to beat levels whether I meticulously planned my path through the upgrade tree or not felt like the developers were playing a joke on me, and I’m not the only one to pick up on this detail.

“I don’t know if I wanted to make the player laugh, but I definitely felt like I was kind of playing jokes on the player. I feel like [having a character that picks upgrades for you isn’t] a thing you really see in games.” Sun said during a recent interview with Stephen Totilo at Game File, adding later, “I think there is a bit of a skill curve, but I do think it plateaus pretty quickly. Once you get it, there’s not much you can do to improve your play. So, it is very much a game about pretending that you’re getting better by getting better stats, actually.”

“Ball x Pit” is, at its heart, a power fantasy. Like many of its roguelike contemporaries, there frequently comes a time in runs where you’ve become so dominant that the game is basically playing itself. The Radical, with its darkened eyes, blood-red skin, and permanent grimace, is the anthropomorphization of this phenomenon. It’s a commentary on the genre itself. Sun and company may not have meant to make players laugh, but it certainly gave me a chuckle.

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“Ball x Pit” is available on Switch, PS5, Xbox, and PC.

Image Credit: “Ball x Pit,” Kenny Sun and Devolver Digital