Posted by: Gianna Cosimini | October 16, 2025 | Demo, Platformer
Heads up, gamers! If you’re looking for the next hilarious disaster to inflict on your squad, you seriously need to wishlist Buddies in a Ball. This ain’t your average platformer. It looks less like a casual run and jump, and more like a four-player therapy session, but, you know, funnier.
The Meta: Get in the Ball, Noob
The core concept is completely busted, in the best way. You and up to four of your friends are squished inside a giant metal ball. Your goal? Roll through levels and avoid falling to your doom. The catch? Every single player’s movement inside the ball affects the momentum.
Think of it this way: instead of having separate characters, your whole team is one giant, clumsy hitbox. One buddy jumps when they shouldn’t? Wipe. Someone leans left when the call was right? Mega-Wipe. This isn’t about perfectly mastering your own character; it’s about perfectly mastering the art of not tilting when your teammate sends the whole squad flying off a cliff.
The developers are leaning hard into the physics-driven chaos. That means realistic rolling, speed, and inertia. You’ll be dealing with some serious jank (intentional jank, hopefully!), making every ramp, gap, and spinning platform a potential rage-quit moment. Seriously, prepare for some comms to get heated. This is the definition of a friend-tester game.
Game Modes: Flex on the Leaderboards or Just Chill?
The good news is that the devs know how spicy the challenge is, so they’ve tossed in some different modes for all skill levels:
- Easy: Basically God Mode. Unlimited respawns. Perfect for when you’re just learning the map or you’ve got that one friend who’s a total casual.
- Default: The standard run. You respawn at the start of the current level after a fail. Solid mode for progression.
- Hard: Only 3 lives per area. Mess up too much, and it’s back to the lobby. This is where the speedrunners will start to sweat.
- Mentally ill: One-life run. Fall once, and you’re starting the entire game over. This mode is the ultimate griefing opportunity… and the most satisfying way to truly clutch a win.
The Honest Tea (Pre-Release Edition)
Since the game isn’t actually out yet (it’s in the pipeline for November 2025), we can only go off the pitch. But the pitch is fire.
Why you’ll love it (The Hype):
- Unique Co-op: This is a fresh take. It’s not another twin-stick shooter or survival game. The concept of being physically tethered inside the ball is pure, unadulterated meme potential.
- High Replayability: Mastering the physics and climbing those leaderboards in the Hard or One-Life modes will keep the grinders busy for ages.
- Laughs Guaranteed: Even if you fail (and you will, a lot), the ragdoll-esque, physics-based failures will generate legendary clips for your discord.
Why you might get Tilted (The Reality Check):
- Frustration Factor: If the physics aren’t tight or the controls feel mushy, the intended “hilarious chaos” could just turn into pure garbage fire. It lives and dies by its core mechanic feeling responsive, yet challenging.
- Squad Only: This is definitely a game that’s meant for voice chat. Playing solo will probably feel lonely, and playing with randoms might just turn your entire session into an exercise in mutual frustration. Get your crew.
TL;DR: If you’re a co-op veteran looking for a new way to torment your buddies, this is the one. It looks like a high-octane blend of platforming, party game, and pure physics trolling. Slam that Wishlist button.
What’s the first ramp you and your friends are going to inevitably fall off of?
Unofficial Maturity Rating
Rating: E for Everyone (with a strong caveat)
The game itself contains no violence, gore, or strong language in the gameplay/visuals. However, given the nature of the co-op chaos and high-stakes failure, we strongly recommend it for:
Ages 10+ (Due to the high difficulty and frustration potential that could challenge younger players’ patience.)
And especially 13+ (If playing with online voice chat, as the level of swearing and tilting between teammates will likely be very high.)
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