Roll Steampunk Balls of Steel in Steamroll

Puzzle games have always been for the more intellectually minded of gamers and Steamroll takes cues from old classics as well as newer titles. Inspired by games like Marble Madness and Portal this puzzler will have you bouncing off the walls. Quite literally.

In Steamroll you’re in command of a rolling ball called a “Scarabeus” that you can use to either move around or deploy to shoot smaller balls around the room. And these aren’t just your average balls generally shot out of cannons. For you see, the Scarabeus is more than just a launcher of round metallic ammunition. It’s also a factory of sorts.

When deployed, your home base can crank out special items to add to your arsenal. And they’re varied and very useful. Of the special “abilities” three have been mentioned. There’s the wall, which deploys a vertical platform that can be used to divert the next ball’s trajectory. And you can also drop down ramps to allow you or other balls to roll over to get to new areas previously inaccessible. And, finally, you have the bomb. That one should be self explanatory.

One of the most interesting things about Steamroll is that you can’t just continuously shoot around obstacles without some form of strategy. You’ve got a limited number of each item, and some (like the bombs) can really derail your attempt to successfully get through a level. And you’ve also got a limited amount of steam to power your attacks.

Steamroll is a puzzle game pure and simple. There’s no story, at least none that I know of. It’s just you, your balls, and the environment. And based on the screenshots it does have a Marble Madness vibe, just updated to modern standards. I mean, you’re rolling balls around the screen in both games. The cannon abilities just add to the fun.

Track the progress of the Steamroll Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.