Pinball video games have made a major comeback in recent years and one standout was Demon’s Tilt, a mix of shmup and pinball that took influence from classics like Devil’s Crush. Now a sequel is in the works, as Xenotilt was just announced.
Xenotilt looks to be as over-the-top as Demon’s Tilt but in a different direction as it swaps supernatural themes for Science-Fiction ones. The game will continue to have shmup elements with guns and will also continue with games within the main game, such as a game of blackjack. The game has been noted as being even more intense with particle effects and shapes of all sizes and multiple things happening on screen, yet runs at full speed on the Steam Deck without slowdown or stuttering.
The table in Demon’s Tilt was large and it was noted that the table in Xenotilt will be even taller here. There will also be boss battles again and these will include screen-filling bosses, but there is more as well. One new addition is the turrets on the flippers, which can be used to clear a path or damage bosses – but the ammo stock must be managed properly.
The game is also planned to have a new system to allow players to lock up to nine balls, with each one granting a bonus or power-up. The various effects will combine to make for a true spectacle and shows how different Pinball video games can really be. The developers have also noted that just as Demon’s Tilt was inspired by Devil Crush, Xenotilt is a riff on Alien Crush, the prequel to Devil Crush, but with a different aesthetic that is less Giger-esque and more based on grimdark style art such as that of Warhammer.
Xenotilt will be out this year and is planned for Steam and Epic Games Store. There is some consideration on whether to launch it in early access, and the developer has noted that early-access pinball games tend to get good feedback that helps with fine-tuning and refinements.
You can see the trailer below