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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
The Canon of Balls is a newly released open-world platformer in which players control a grotesque stone face inside a rolling metal cage, using its tongue to bounce and navigate perilous environments. The article argues that its unusual premise and deliberately abrasive design distinguish it from other “Dark Souls in a ball” comparisons, drawing on a neglected strain of strange, challenging game design rather than simple nostalgia.
Its cathedral-like opening level involves rolling and wall-jumping to retrieve a key from a hanging brazier, while later areas include large-scale architecture, traps and a stone bird holding a key. Developer Helios Monk cites Dark Souls, Super Monkey Ball, Fumito Ueda’s work and Minecraft parkour maps as influences; the game supports solo play but encourages friends to play alongside each other informally. It is available on Steam from today, priced at £2.88 during its launch discount.
In short
- A strange, difficult rolling platformer has launched on Steam.
- It blends Dark Souls atmosphere with Super Monkey Ball movement.
- It costs £2.88 during the launch sale.
Explained simply
The Canon of Balls is an independent video game built around steering a stone face trapped inside a rolling metal cage. Players roll, jump and use the face’s tongue to move through hazardous stages and reach keys and other goals.
Its developer, Helios Monk, has named several different influences, including the challenging Dark Souls games, Sega’s rolling-ball game Super Monkey Ball, the work of Fumito Ueda and Minecraft parkour maps. These references place it among games that mix demanding play with unusual worlds and movement.
The game can be played alone, though it also invites friends to play alongside one another informally. Its distinctive design reflects a broader range of ideas in platform games than familiar genre labels may suggest.