PICO-BALL

PICO-BALL is an indie sports mashup that mixes tennis, volleyball, squash, and wallball into one game. The main goal is simple—if the ball bounces twice on your side, your opponent gets the point. Players can choose between solo or multiplayer modes, and each has its own challenges and strategies. It can be played instantly for free on kbhgames.com in your browser, with no installation needed.

In Solo mode, there’s a Campaign where you help Jelpi move up the ranks by facing unique opponents, each with their own quirks. There’s also a Wall mode where you face an unbeatable wall and try to survive as long as possible, and a Spectate option where you watch past opponents battle.

Local multiplayer offers Versus matches where you compete head-to-head with powerups that can completely change the pace of the game. Co-op mode focuses on working together to keep multiple balls in the air, with powerups that can both help and make it harder.

Throughout the Campaign, you’ll face characters like Strider, who struggles with high shots, Heli, who flies but can’t keep up with fast moves, Frog, who pulls off unpredictable trick shots, Bird, who plays aggressively and crosses into your side, and Mimo, Jelpi’s old friend who gets tougher as the match goes on. Winning matches unlocks hats your character can wear.

Controls are built into the game, but Player 2 uses ESDF instead of WASD to work on more keyboard layouts. The game also supports controllers, and settings can be adjusted from the pause menu to make play smoother. Arrow keys can work for both players, but it may be less comfortable.

Credits

• Game (Code/Music/Sound/Story/Art) by PlayerTheMaker (itch.io), a.k.a. @Munchkin (Lexaloffle BBS)
• Original Jelpi characters/themes/sound-effects/art and PICO-8 itself, @zep/Lexaloffle