Road to Ballhalla

If you can take the difficulty on the chin, you'll experience a broad range of top-notch puzzles, that are well-executed and overlaid with a cheeky, playful tone. Rolling a ball around around a level shouldn't be this much fun.

82%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

story, replayability

88% User Score Based on 296 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.07

Buy NowGet on Steam€2.95

About

Road to Ballhalla is a rhythm-based platformer where you guide a ball through challenging mazes. Solve puzzles, avoid obstacles, and reach the exit in time with the beat. With a quirky sense of humor and various difficulty settings, it's a fun and addictive game for both rhythm game veterans and newcomers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 307 reviews

gameplay38 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features creative level design that keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
The controls are precise and responsive, enhancing the overall experience.
The humor and witty commentary throughout the game add a fun and entertaining layer to the gameplay.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, especially in later levels, which may deter some players.
It is relatively short, with only 20 main levels, leading to concerns about replay value.
Some players have reported technical issues, including crashes and performance problems.

gameplay
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and variety, with well-designed levels that frequently introduce new mechanics, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the risk/reward elements, challenging puzzles, and the integration of humor and rhythm into the gameplay, although some find certain mechanics frustrating. Overall, the game offers a solid balance of fun, challenge, and creativity, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and responsive controls.
- “The goal and mechanics are simple, but the level design is excellent.”
- “There is one consistent mechanic, in that using your speed boost leaves you vulnerable to dying in a single hit, creating a sort of risk/reward in speeding through sections.”
- “Its constant switching of gameplay mechanics means that it feels relatively fresh throughout most of the game, and the difficulty level is set very well so as to cause challenge without frustration.”
- “The gameplay is rather simple, and there were enjoyable moments, but when the developers know the mechanics are trash or annoying and then mock you for failing due to those mechanics, it does not leave me with a positive overall impression.”
- “The music is so-so, and the gameplay can be more frustrating than it deserves to be.”
- “No interesting gameplay, just doing the same thing over and over again.”
music
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The music in "Road to Ballhalla" is widely praised for its high quality and effective synchronization with gameplay elements, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate how the soundtrack not only sets a vibrant atmosphere but also serves as a crucial gameplay mechanic, with traps and obstacles responding to the rhythm. While some find the tunes less memorable, the overall consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack is a masterpiece of downtempo electronica that provides the basis for the gameplay.”
- “The music creates an amazing atmosphere, level design and progression are excellent, the graphics are vibrant and give a very good feel.”
- “The soundtrack is hugely important here, since some traps activate and deactivate by following the rhythm of the music that is playing in the background, so playing with the music on is a must if you want to avoid dying more times than you normally would.”
- “The music is so-so and the gameplay can be more frustrating than it deserves to be.”
- “This makes it seem repetitive and almost forgettable, unlike the Shatter soundtrack, which is also similar with constant tempo but done extremely well.”
- “Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the music style, but the mechanic certainly adds another interesting layer to gameplay.”
humor
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
4%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, with many players noting the effectiveness of the witty narration and text prompts that add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it enhances the experience, making the game enjoyable and often laugh-out-loud funny. The combination of self-aware jokes, puns, and engaging writing contributes to a refreshing and entertaining atmosphere throughout the game.
- “The humor in the game is actually pretty good and refreshing.”
- “The banter between the player and the 'narrator' is hilarious.”
- “Road to Ballhalla is genuinely funny as the 'narrator' tries to trick you and taunts you when you fail.”
- “The in-game text is jokey, taunting, and occasionally deceptive, but I found it to be not funny at all, and the gameplay is nothing special.”
- “The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making the experience more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the attempts at humor just feel awkward.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
39%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, colorful, and clean visuals that create an appealing aesthetic reminiscent of neon and Tron-like designs. However, some critics have noted a reliance on minimalist graphics, suggesting a lack of depth compared to contemporary PC titles. Overall, the visuals are generally considered polished and well-integrated with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
- “And the art style is amazing - I loved the all neon, tron-like design; it fits great with this type of game.”
- “The graphics are clean, sleek, and good-looking.”
- “Road to Ballhalla is a graphically polished ball rolling game using the Unreal 4 engine.”
- “Lazy minimalist graphics were used as a substitute for doing the work required to produce contemporary PC graphics; this shouldn't be too surprising coming from a console game.”
- “This isn't the best of the rolling ball puzzle/action games on Steam, and the console portiness and lazy graphics (is it so hard to hire an artist?) make this impossible to recommend.”
- “The PC controls are pretty bad, with no mouse control in the menus and weird audio levels in the options, and with no advanced graphics it's preset or bust.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for its gameplay mechanics, with no major narrative arc. Players encounter some humorous writings that provide hints or mislead them, but overall, the focus is on engaging level design and mechanical challenges rather than a traditional storyline. While the game is charming and enjoyable, it lacks a substantial narrative, making it more of a casual experience.
- “Rarely do I get to say that an incredibly simple game with seemingly no place for a story to be developed is well written.”
- “Nice story, well evolved throughout the game level by level at increasing difficulty.”
- “The game itself doesn't have a story, but throughout your experience you will find some writings that will either help you out by pointing out traps, or trick you into trying something that will lead to your death.”
- “There is no major storyline; you are just shown new things like lasers and different colored orbs and blocks, how to get past them, and move on to more new things.”
- “Just be aware that this is a very simple game which is very mechanically oriented – there is no real story, just a series of well-designed mechanical challenges.”
- “The game itself doesn't have a story, but throughout your experience, you will find some writings that will either help you out by pointing out traps or trick you into trying something that will lead to your death.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Ballhalla offers a solid replayability factor through its leaderboard system, speed runs, and secrets, despite being a relatively short game that can be completed in about 3 hours. The inclusion of a user-friendly level editor and workshop support further enhances its replay value, although the lack of multiplayer may limit some players' interest in replaying the game. Overall, it is considered to have high replayability, rated around 7.5.
- “Ballhalla is very well made and has a leaderboard system, allowing for replayability and competitiveness.”
- “The game is fairly short; it could probably be completed in about 3 hours if you're particularly good at it, longer if you're not. However, it offers a decent amount of replayability in the form of speed runs and secrets.”
- “It also includes a level editor that is actually pretty easy to use, along with workshop support which adds even more replayability.”
- “The absence of multiplayer stifles replayability.”
- “The game is fairly short; it could probably be completed in about 3 hours if you're particularly good at it, longer if you're not. While it does offer a decent amount of replayability in the form of speed runs and secrets, the overall length may limit how often players return.”
- “While it includes a level editor that is easy to use and workshop support that adds more replayability, the core game experience may not be enough to keep players engaged for long.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes occurring every 5-15 minutes, disrupting gameplay and forcing players to restart the application. While some users report no glitches, the lack of a windowed mode and minor freezes contribute to an overall frustrating experience.
- “I found no glitches at all.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
- “I experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime.”
- “This is my kind of game, but unfortunately every 5-15 minutes it just freezes in the middle of a level, where only the music continues to play, and nothing else can be done except killing the game through task manager.”
- “Due to the freezes, I couldn't get past the second stage with several objects moving simultaneously.”
- “Fun, but the game does not support windowed mode; small freezes make it unplayable.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often boring, with many levels feeling like a chore to complete.
- “However, many of these levels are tedious to get through.”
- “I found it tedious to the point of boredom.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the excellent music, vibrant graphics, and well-designed levels that contribute to an immersive experience. The combination of tight controls and a charming story further enhances the overall ambiance, making it a standout feature.
- “The music creates an amazing atmosphere, and the level design and progression are excellent.”
- “Lovely atmosphere and humor.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is closely tied to performance evaluation, where players are rated based on their orb collection and checkpoint restarts. This dual focus encourages efficient gameplay, rewarding players for minimizing deaths while maximizing orb acquisition.
- “At the end of the level, your performance is rated based on both the number of orbs collected and the number of times you had to restart from a checkpoint.”
- “Performance is graded not only on how many lives you lost but on how many shiny orbs you managed to pick up on your journey throughout the trial.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers feel that the game's monetization model is inappropriate for a paid PC title, suggesting it resembles a free mobile game or a mini-game that should be unlocked rather than a standalone product.
- “It feels more like a mobile game that should be free with ads between levels, or a minigame you unlock on a fictional game console you find in a bigger game, not a PC game that costs money.”
- “The monetization model is frustrating and makes it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I can't believe how much they charge for basic features that should be included in the game.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report that the game's design evokes strong emotional responses, though it's unclear if these feelings were the developers' intended outcome. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, enhancing the gaming experience.
- “The game took me on an emotional rollercoaster, making me feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact on me.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative was incredible, making me laugh, cry, and reflect on my own life choices.”

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 11 critic reviews

Buy Road to Ballhalla

14h Median play time

10h Average play time

2-14h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

92%1.7kreviews

EDGE

2011

Casual Action Adventure

+13

92%329reviews

Escape Goat 2

2014

Casual Platformer

81%3kreviews

140

2013

Arcade Platformer

66%536reviews

Mushroom 11

2017

Action Adventure

85%243reviews

Slime-san

2017

Arcade Platformer

65%621reviews

Spoiler Alert

2014

Casual Action Adventure

73%159reviews

Inside My Radio

2015

Casual Platformer

84%524reviews

10 Second Ninja

2014

Platformer

94%129reviews

Wunderling DX

2022

Platformer

This game contains adult content

87%1.7kreviews

SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell

2016

Arcade Shooter

Road to Ballhalla Tweets

Road to Ballhalla

Platforms

About