Kniv Studio has released a free demo for its upcoming pachinko-inspired roguelike High Roller Penny, which surpassed 20,000 Steam Wishlists earlier this month. In addition to a first hands-on gameplay experience, players are introduced to a pink-haired bunny girl who serves as a new opponent for Penny.
Announced earlier this year, High Roller Penny has you playing as a debtor forced to participate in illegal, life-threatening gambling games run by the shady underground organization known as Yami-Pachi. Penny, your bunny girl abductor, cheers you on as you play, as defeating the other bunny girls nets her glory and clears your debts. Losing, on the other hand, means your swift execution.
Gameplay revolves around building your high score on a pachinko-like pegboard. You place small balls and watch them fall down, with each peg hit adding to your total score. If you reach the required high score before running out of allotted balls, you move on to the next round and get to live. Each stage is comprised of a set number of rounds and is overseen by a bunny girl with her own unique skills.
Clearing rounds earns you tickets that can be used to purchase special pegs and balls. Special pegs can be manually placed on the pegboard to score more points and activate unique special effects. One special peg is wider and launches balls upward, while another duplicates a ball when it is hit. Purchased balls also have unique effects and properties that spice up the playing field.
In addition to special pegs and balls, passive skills allow you to synergize with your current loadout. If you don’t like how a run is going, you can always sell your tickets, pegs, and balls for items that better suit your playstyle. You have to manage your resources carefully, however, as exchanging too many of them could lead to an early end.
High Roller Penny is currently in development for Windows and macOS (Steam). A free demo is available now.
