NEW ON STEAM
THE CANON OF BALLS
At a glance
THE CANON OF BALLS game facts
Steam store information checked 2026-08-27。- Studio
- Helios Monk Published by Helios Monk
- Release
- Aug 13, 2026 Released
- Official genres
- Action · Adventure · Casual · Indie
- Play mode
- Single-player · Multiplayer · Online co-op
- Desktop platforms
- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Unknown No additional compatibility detail
- Controller
- Not listed
- Steam features
- Achievements · Family Sharing
- Languages
- 1 listed languages English
What that means for your setupTHE CANON OF BALLS comes from Helios Monk, a solo developer who also self-publishes, and that one-person voice shows up everywhere from the writing on the store page to the responsive patch cadence players mention. It released on August 13, 2026, on Windows only, with English as the listed language, and it tags as Action, Adventure, Casual, and Indie. Play modes cover Single-player, Multiplayer, and Online co-op, so the game works just fine if your friend list is empty, and the developer's own description stresses that there are no mechanics that actually require a partner, only the social moments that make it special. Steam Deck compatibility is listed as Unknown with no additional detail, which matters if you were planning to roll around on a handheld, and controller support is Not listed, so you should plan on keyboard and mouse until the developer clarifies otherwise. Listed features are limited to Achievements and Family Sharing, and at $3.99 USD with no current discount it is positioned as a budget pickup rather than a flagship release.
If you ever spent a weekend yelling at a friend over a Minecraft parkour map, THE CANON OF BALLS is basically that feeling, polished up and given a Shadow of the Colossus-sized sense of scale. It is a first-person marble platformer set in a handcrafted open world, and the whole pitch from developer Helios Monk is easy to learn, brutal to master, and best when you bring a buddy. Reviews lean heavily positive, and the mood here is closer to a Friday-night Discord session than a punishing roguelike.
What the game actually feels like
You pilot a ball through a vast, first-person open world built from handcrafted platforming courses, each one designed around a specific twist rather than stitched together from modular pieces, so the variety holds up across a full playthrough.
The control feel is the star: snappy, weighty movement with real juice in the sound design, where momentum, wall jumps, and bounces give you the same muscle-memory satisfaction as a good Monkey Ball stage, but stretched across giant landscapes.
There is no map, no quest markers, and no tutorial, which leans into the developer's old-school parkour-map philosophy: read the space, talk it out with your friend, and figure out the route together.
Online co-op turns every course into a shared social moment, whether you race for crystals, hang back and coach, or simply scream at each other over Discord when a jump finally clicks.
What early players are seeing
What is landing
- Players consistently call out the level design as the standout, with one reviewer summing it up as 'the level design is on another level yet very challenging which adds a lot of playtime and fun,' and several others describe it as the best ball controller they have ever used.
- The atmosphere and scale draw strong comparisons to PS2-era adventure games, with one positive review noting 'a vista that made my jaw drop' after clearing the first area and others tagging on heavy Nintendo 64 collectathon vibes.
- Value-for-money is a recurring theme at the $3.99 price point, with a player writing 'for this price, absolutely great value. Heavy Nintendo 64 collectathon vibes. Co-op is fun' after putting in nearly four and a half hours.
- The group experience is the emotional hook for most buyers, captured cleanly by a review that called it 'great game, even better with friends. The discord call was just moaning and screaming from start to finish.'
What still needs watching
- Several players found wall jumping strong enough to trivialise sections, with one detailed review noting that concave corners and tight parallel walls act like a skip button for whole challenges, which can undercut the difficulty the marketing leans on.
- The experience can feel short and medium-hard rather than truly brutal, with one long-time platformer fan writing that they wanted a final challenge that tested every skill and never quite got one, so marathon seekers should set expectations accordingly.
Is THE CANON OF BALLS worth buying now?
Current decision
Worth tryingWith a 100% positive review score across 101 reviews, a $3.99 price, and a clear co-op hook that matches what the developer promises, THE CANON OF BALLS is an easy pick for anyone curious about first-person marble platformers. The caveats around wall-jump power, a moderate difficulty curve, and the short overall length are real, but at this price they read like tuning notes rather than dealbreakers, and the developer is actively shipping fixes.
Who this is for
A good fit if you…
- Friends looking for a cheap, funny co-op game to play over Discord, especially anyone who grew up on Minecraft parkour maps and wants that energy back.
- Solo platformer fans who want a short, atmospheric challenge they can finish in a few sessions and revisit when patches land.
- Marble-game and Super Monkey Ball devotees curious how the formula holds up in a first-person, open-world wrapper.
- Budget buyers who want a handcrafted indie with strong art direction and don't need a fifty-hour campaign to feel satisfied.
- Casual players open to a medium-difficulty learning curve who enjoy figuring things out without quest markers or tutorials.
Wait if you…
- You primarily play on Steam Deck or want a verified controller setup, since Deck compatibility is Unknown and controller support is not listed.
- You need a long, ultra-hard platformer with a true final gauntlet, because multiple reviewers describe the length as short-to-medium and the ending as anticlimactic.
- You expect heavy music throughout, since at least one player wished for more soundtrack and noted preferring silence during exploration.
If THE CANON OF BALLS is not quite your game
SIMILAR OPTION
HELLDIVERS™ 2
Choose it ifPick HELLDIVERS 2 if you want a meaty, ongoing shooter to grind with your regular group, and pick THE CANON OF BALLS if you want a low-commitment, low-cost platformer that still rewards playing with a friend.
How it comparesOnline co-op with a friends-first focus on PC HELLDIVERS 2 is a live-service, third-person shooter with missions, progression systems, and real co-op mechanics that require squad play, while THE CANON OF BALLS is a budget indie platformer where co-op is optional, the world is single-player solvable, and the appeal is atmosphere and skill rather than firefights.
SIMILAR OPTION · 40% OFF
Among Us
Choose it ifPick Among Us when you want a quick party-night loop of betrayal and voting, and pick THE CANON OF BALLS when you want a longer, laughter-filled session of actually rolling and jumping together.
How it comparesSocial, group chaos with friends online Among Us is a short, round-based social deduction game built around talking, lying, and accusing, while THE CANON OF BALLS drops you into a continuous open world of platforming challenges where the fun comes from shared struggle and racing rather than hidden roles.
SIMILAR OPTION · 60% OFF
Dead by Daylight
Choose it ifPick Dead by Daylight if you want a high-tension, asymmetric multiplayer game with deep systems to learn, and pick THE CANON OF BALLS if you would rather chill, roll a marble around giant vistas, and laugh with friends.
How it comparesTense online multiplayer with very different stakes Dead by Daylight is an asymmetric horror game where one player hunts and four try to escape, built around long-term progression, perks, and regular seasons, while THE CANON OF BALLS is a serene, handcrafted platformer focused on movement mastery and shared exploration rather than threat and chase.
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