What it is
Carbineball is an arcade pinball-like game where your mouse cursor acts as a character that can bump the ball and shoot it with two revolvers. It mixes pinball with pong/breakout-style play, and includes unlockable characters and balls with unique traits. It was made in a weekend for Ludum Dare 60.
From the developer
In the developer’s own words, from anttihaavikko.itch.io.
Carbineball is my take on pinball. It's not really that far off from normal pinballs but the main way to interact with the ball is quite a bit different. Your mouse cursor is basically a character that can bump the ball and is also equipped with two revolvers to interact with the ball from range too. So it's kinda similar to pong/breakout/arkanoid too.
So like in a classic arcade game fashion, you build up multiplier at the same time you rack up points and also need to be careful not to let your accumulated multiplier be lost. You can build it up by bumping the ball but need to shoot between bumps or the multiplier won't go up. There is also a sun bumper pad at the bottom of the screen that too increases your multiplier but it's also a bit risky as ball falling off the screen will obviously be a failure.
The board is basically split to three distinct section with own aims and interactions. There is a rotating bonus game picked every 30 second which will result in a lot more point than normal really encouraging you to not just keep doing one of them.
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And finally there are a couple of different characters and balls to unlock and use with their own unique bonuses, strengths and weaknesses. Find a way to score big and claim a spot on the online leaderboards! Super interested to see and hear what strategies end up being the best ones and how crazy the scores will get.
Made for Ludum Dare 60, from scratch solo in a weekend.
Editor takes
“The mouse-cursor bumping and twin revolver shots feel tight, but the constant shoot-between-bumps rhythm makes the early difficulty spike brutal.”
“Unlockable characters and balls change each run, and the 30-second rotating bonus keeps you chasing one more score run.”
“For a solo LD60 build it's surprisingly polished, but the core loop leans on a single gimmick.”
“The multiplier economy and unlockable loadouts have legs, but a leaderboard that doesn't register runs kills the long-term chase.”
How to play
Move your mouse to position the cursor-character and bump the ball, and use the mouse buttons to shoot at the ball from range. Build your multiplier by bumping the ball, then shoot between bumps to keep it rising. Avoid letting the ball fall off the bottom of the screen, since that ends the run.
Tips
- Bump the ball and shoot between bumps to raise your multiplier instead of only keeping the ball in play.
- Use the sun bumper pad at the bottom for a multiplier boost, but weigh the risk of losing the ball.
- Keep an eye on the rotating bonus game every 30 seconds; it can award far more points than regular play.
- Try all three board sections, since each has its own goals and interactions.
- Unlock different characters and balls to find one whose strengths fit your play style.
Questions
What platforms can I play Carbineball on?
It runs in the browser and is also downloadable for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How do I control the guns?
The mouse cursor is your character. You bump the ball by moving into it, and the mouse buttons fire the revolvers; right-click controls the right gun.
Is there an online leaderboard?
Yes, the game includes online leaderboards for submitting high scores.
Was this made with generative AI?
No. The page states that no generative AI was used and that it was made solo from scratch for Ludum Dare 60.
Does the game save progress?
Unlockable characters and balls are mentioned, but the page doesn't specify how progression is saved.
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