Developer Kniv Studio has announced High Roller Penny, a pachinko-inspired roguelike currently in development for PC (Steam).
In High Roller Penny, you play as a pathetic debtor forced to participate in illegal, life-or-death gambling games run by a shady underground organization called Yami-Pachi. You are abducted by Penny, a Bunny Girl and debtor handler, and forced to compete against other bunny girls. Your goal is to defeat them all and rise to the top of the ranks. If you win, Penny claims her glory and your debts are fully repaid. If you lose, you get executed on the spot.
The core gameplay revolves around building huge scores on a pachinko-inspired pegboard. You drop a ball onto the board and watch it bounce through the pegs, with every peg hit adding to your score. If you manage to surpass the required quota with a limited number of balls, you clear the round and get to live. After clearing several rounds, you’ll advance to the next stage, where another bunny girl awaits.
Clearing a round earns you tickets, which can be used to obtain special pegs and balls, the selection of which appears to be randomized. Pegs obtained from the prize exchange can be placed freely on the board and can score more points than standard pegs. Some have special effects, such as wider designs that launch balls upward, or pegs that duplicate a ball when hit. Balls also come with a variety of different properties and effects.
High Roller Penny also features passive skills, allowing you to create synergies between your pegs, balls, and other effects. Additionally, you can sell off your tickets, pegs, and balls, meaning you’ll need to manage your resources carefully while experimenting with different “builds” to push your run as far as possible.
Kniv Studio is a South Korean developer whose previous work includes the “Very Positive” turn-based strategy RPG STARDUST: Wish of Witch.
High Roller Penny is currently in development for PC (Steam). The release date is TBD.
