What is Ding! Pocket It!: Rogue Simulator?
Imagine if a pool hall and a roguelike deckbuilder had a baby, and that baby was obsessed with exponential math. Ding! Pocket It!: Rogue Simulator swaps monsters for bottle caps and combat for physics-based trick shots.
Gameplay
You're basically playing a game of pool, but instead of just sinking balls, you're building a deck to break the scoring system. The core loop is all about physics-based shots and 'cap combos.' You aren't just looking for strong cards; you're hunting for a 'Base x Multiplier' engine. It's a lot like the logic in Balatro where you want your score to explode exponentially. You'll spend your runs figuring out the best sequence of modifiers to maximize every single shot you take.
Run variety is actually decent because the levels change up the physics and challenges. You can't just rely on one meta deck since you'll have to adjust your strategy based on the table layout. However, it's definitely a bit rough around the edges. Being an indie title from Handcrank Workshop, it lacks the polished 'juice' you'd find in Slay the Spire. The UI is clunky, and it's a mechanics-first experience that doesn't hold your hand.
At $4.99, it's a cheap entry point for a weird experiment. The meta-progression is all about refining those math-heavy synergies. If you love the feeling of breaking a game with numbers, you'll get a few hours of genuine fun out of it, provided you can overlook the jagged presentation.
Key Features
- Pool-style physics controls
- Base x Multiplier scoring
- Bottle cap combo building
- Dynamic table layouts
Screenshots
Verdict
Grab this if you're bored of standard combat deckbuilders and want a physics experiment. Skip it if you can't stand clunky UIs or lack of polish. 7/10.
View on Steam →* Price at time of publication (checked 10.09.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.