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THE CANON OF BALLS

THE CANON OF BALLS Game Cover
99%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, atmosphere
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, story
99% User Score Based on 286 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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THE CANON OF BALLS Game Cover

About THE CANON OF BALLS

THE CANON OF BALLS is a single player and multiplayer open world platformer game with fantasy, mystery and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Helios Monk and was released on August 13, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Hardcore, first-person, co-op platformer. Shadow of the Colossus' PSX aesthetics meets Monkey Ball. An easy-to-learn, hard-to-master open-world experience to explore and master together with your friends. A vast open world, with each platforming course bringing its own twist.

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THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
THE CANON OF BALLS screenshot
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Reviews

99%Audience ScoreBased on 286 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game offers satisfying and unique physics-based movement mechanics that feel weighty and responsive, making platforming and traversal a rewarding experience.
  • It provides excellent multiplayer fun with friends, allowing for spontaneous races, cooperative antics, and shared challenges which enhance the social experience.
  • The handcrafted, atmospheric world with varied levels, great sound design, and a level editor with workshop support adds replayability and charm.
  • The difficulty can be punishing and may frustrate some players, especially in precision platforming sections and the final pyramid climb.
  • The game is relatively short with limited content currently, and some players desire more levels, harder challenges, and more depth in gameplay.
  • There are occasional bugs and issues such as menu jank, shared checkpoints in multiplayer causing inconveniences, and some invisible geometry problems.

  • gameplay

    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    31% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions

    The gameplay features tight, challenging mechanics centered around climbing and puzzle-solving, offering a unique and rewarding experience once mastered. While some find it brutally difficult and occasionally tedious, many appreciate the precise movement, creative mechanics like the tongue ability, and lack of hand-holding for a fair yet demanding experience. Minor requests include more varied level elements, additional mechanics, and improved customization options.

    • “The main gameplay mechanic is going higher and higher into the level, with several main sections of the game gated by completing several smaller puzzles.”
    • “Years of experience with marble games comes in handy but isn't a free pass to victory with the addition of some great movement mechanics that really make the possibilities for creative movement shine.”
    • “The actual gameplay is tedious and is not fun.”
    • “Having said all that, this is still a brutally difficult game, and this is only for people who want to struggle and try over and over again to get to the end, on top of having high precision gameplay.”
    • “The basic mechanics are accessible enough to grasp quickly, but difficult courses expose how much room there is for improvement.”

  • atmosphere

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    73% positive mentions, 27% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of imposing architecture, dark fantasy, and gothic elements, enhanced by strong sound design and a retro aesthetic. This creates an immersive and appropriately eerie environment that complements its playful, challenging gameplay and open-ended exploration. While some players wished for more music, the minimalistic audio approach effectively supports the game's distinctive mood and multiplayer experience.

    • “The strange combination of imposing architecture, dark fantasy imagery, underground spaces, gothic elements, and deliberately retro-looking presentation creates an atmosphere that feels surprisingly appropriate for such a playful concept.”
    • “Its combination of challenging physics, open-ended exploration, handcrafted environments, varied parkour courses, minimal guidance, atmospheric presentation, and freeform multiplayer gives it considerably more personality than a conventional collection of obstacle courses.”
    • “Slowly exploring the extremely atmospheric world and figuring out the surprisingly solid and dynamic feel of rolling around was so fun.”

  • humor

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's humor is a highlight, delivering frequent laughs that balance out moments of frustration. Players find the funny elements enjoyable and believe the comedic tone enhances the overall experience.

    • “Easy controls to learn and very funny skips you can make, overall a very good time!”
    • “This game, while sometimes extremely frustrating, will have you laughing as often as raging.”

  • grinding

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and unenjoyable, though the responsive and polished movement system helps mitigate some of the frustration from repeated failures. Overall, the gameplay can feel repetitive and less engaging compared to more dynamic alternatives.

    • “The actual gameplay is tedious and is not fun.”
    • “If you want something that is less tedious and more fun, then play Volumne.”
    • “The responsive presentation keeps repeated failures from becoming as tedious as they might be in a less polished movement system.”

  • graphics

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game features a distinctive and captivating aesthetic reminiscent of titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Babbdi, creating a strong atmospheric experience. Its visuals are praised for being both cool and immersive, complementing the overall design and gameplay.

    • “Love the aesthetics and sound design; gives off a mix of Shadow of the Colossus and Babbdi in terms of vibes.”
    • “Has a really great aesthetic and atmosphere.”
    • “Love this game; really cool visuals and game mechanics.”

  • music

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The music is well-liked for its vibe and quality, though some users wish for more frequent tracks similar to the trailer music. Many appreciate the atmospheric silence but suggest adding volume sliders for better sound control.

    • “The music is nice when it plays.”
    • “I wish there was more music, like I enjoyed the music from the trailers which I don't think was in gameplay, but I understand wanting to keep the empty atmosphere for most of the game.”
    • “Vibes are great, would like to have volume sliders though (e.g., music, ambience, etc.).”

  • story

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The story aspect is minimal, with no traditional quest markers or guidance, reflecting that the game is not focused on narrative. Players do not find this lacking, as the game’s design does not prioritize storytelling.

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's optimization on handheld devices is currently uncertain, with potential issues related to performance, controls, and online functionality that need further testing before a confident recommendation can be made.

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I love the Dark Soulful architecture of The Canon of Balls, a rolling open world game inspired by Sega, Fumito Ueda and Minecraft parkour

August 14 on rockpapershotgun.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

THE CANON OF BALLS is a open world platformer game with fantasy, mystery and dark fantasy themes. Common tags for THE CANON OF BALLS include first-person, gothic, 3D, indie, precision platformer and others.

THE CANON OF BALLS is available on PC and Windows.

THE CANON OF BALLS was released on August 13, 2026.

THE CANON OF BALLS was developed by Helios Monk.

THE CANON OF BALLS has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked THE CANON OF BALLS for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

THE CANON OF BALLS is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Crumble, BETON BRUTAL, Lorn's Lure, Verlet Swing, Big Hops and others.