Holedown
Review

Holedown (2018) is a puzzle game where you bounce balls around a well filled with Tetris-style shapes. Each shape requires a certain number of hits and you have a large number of projectiles to direct through the maze created by the shapes. Your goal is to keep destroying the blocks before the well fills up.

As you progress you dig deep underground and traverse your way to the planet's core. You have limited shots per round and some blocks are fixed to the wall, so planning how to use your depleting resource of balls is crucial.

As you gain more points you can select upgrades such as more starting balls, more shots per round, or storing more crystals, based on your play style and overall strategy. Work your way into the procedurally generated planets with a delightful spectacle of bouncing as you get closer to the planet’s core.

The result is a puzzle game that is as mesmerising as it is fascinating. It's a world of minimalistic art to immerse yourself in, backed by an original space soundtrack.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Holedown 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 10 months ago.