The Ball

The Ball is a first-person action-adventure game with heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving. The game was a part of Valve’s Portal 2 promotional campaign Potato Sack.

Gameplay

In The Ball, you play as an archeologist that one day came across and got trapped in the ruins of an unknown civilization’s underground city. How you have to escape the city as well as find out the secrets of this place.
Your only weapon and primary puzzle-solving tool in the game is a solid mysterious metal sphere that you have to manipulate to overcome the challenges of the game. There are various ways to use Ball in the game. It can play the role of a platform to help you reach high places over traverse gaps. Many puzzles require guiding ball to a specific place. Besides puzzles solving, there are random combat sequences in which you also have to use the Ball to smash your enemies. During the game you can upgrade it by changing its properties like covering it with spikes, overcharging with electricity or changing its gravity field allowing you to jump higher when you are near the Ball. The story campaign consists of 8 levels and lasts about 5-6 hours. Aside from the story mode, the game offers survival mode that challenges you with waves of enemies.