Marble rolling games used to be quite popular. Marble Blast Gold used to be a staple of Mac gaming, as it came pre-installed on some of Apple’s machines in the early 2000s. Marble Madness is another classic example of the genre, one of the most beloved arcade games of its era, with some pretty decent console ports.

For one reason or another, most recently due to the reliance on small indie titles to produce the bulk of the games in the genre, marble rolling titles are most popular on the PC market. Meanwhile, most of the games formerly made for consoles are only available through emulators or via fan-made ports and remakes.

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11 Ballance

Metacritic Score: N/A

Ballance was originally released by Atari in 2004. The game is about moving a sphere through long, complex obstacle courses high in the sky. The game only comes with 12 levels, but the price is small enough to justify the small offering.

What’s harder to accept is just how little added compatibility the Steam version of the game has compared to the original. The game was originally released in 2004, so it’s no surprise if it requires some attention when installed on modern machines. While there is a guide on how to prepare the game before playing, those issues should have been solved by the publisher before putting the game on Steam.

10 Marble Madness

Gamefaqs Score: 3.48 (Arcade Version)

Marble Madness might just be the first example of a marble-rolling video game. It was originally released in 1984 as an arcade machine, and then ported to the NES and the Sega Mega Drive. The original arcade came with a trackball controller, a great addition to an isometric game about fighting a sphere’s momentum.

Players of today are unlikely to find a Marble Madness arcade machine near them, which is a shame, since anyone who has played it seems to think this is the best version of the game. Among consoles, the Sega Mega Drive version is often considered the best, followed by the port for Amiga computers.

9 Marble Blast Gold

An Expansion Of A 2002 Cult Classic

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If Marble Madness invented the marble rolling genre, Marble Blast Gold popularized it among PC gamers. This classic PC title sees players racing to complete time trials as well as more puzzle-oriented courses, using powerups and advanced techniques to reach Gold Times and unlock more of the game.

Marble Blast Gold is currently available for free. It’s even playable directly from a browser without having to install any new software, though it’s hardly the best way to play this classic PC game. This version of the game includes the Platinum expansion, which adds some of the best levels the game has to offer.

7 Paperball

Steam User Rating: 96%

Paperball is a marble rolling game in the vein of Super Monkey Ball, with some innovative additions that distinguish it from the classic PlayStation series. For one, Paperball has different local multiplayer modes, including one where two players control the same sphere through the track.

As far as everything else goes, this is as classic as a marble rolling platformer can get. The players tilt the world that the sphere is rolling on, influencing its movements indirectly. Other welcome but expected additions include Medal Mode, where players compete for the best times, and Rush Mode, in which a single player tries to get as far as possible in a limited time.

6 Roll Away (Or Kula World)

Gamefaqs Score: 3.77

Roll Away isn’t a classic example of a marble rolling game, as it has more to do with puzzles than physics. Still, players do roll a ball around a track while trying to avoid dangers and lowering their time, so it technically counts. Besides, Roll Away is one of the best 3D platformers on PS1.

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What makes Roll Away unique is the same thing that kept it niche for almost 25 years. The physics of this game rotates with the player’s ball, which can either move normally or jump. When the player rolls their ball off of a cliff, the perspective changes, rotating with the sphere. When the player jumps, gravity remains as it was, potentially leading to a game over.

5 Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder

Metacritic Score: 79

Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder follows in the footsteps of the first game. It’s another comedic romp with an art style that uses classic paintings from different periods. This time, though, it supports up to four players and is overall much more polished. Years after its original release in 2017, fans of the series still prefer this title over the other.

The Rock of Ages series features chaotic ball-rolling action on one hand, and tower defense on the other. But don’t be fooled by this definition: the meat of the game is still rolling a big boulder into a group of enemies or a fortified wall, and to see at the mayhem that follows.

4 Marble Blast Ultra

Metacritic Score: 79

Marble Blast Ultra is a sequel to the original Marble Blast Gold, even if it’s not quite as similar to the originals as Gold’s unofficial expansion Platinum. Marble Blast Ultra isn’t sold on its own anymore, but it can be played for free together with the rest of the series on Marble Blast Web.

Marble Blast Ultra is more of a puzzle game than its predecessors, with new powerups littering the more advanced courses. But the game doesn’t lack the odd speed-focused level or the more classic platforming challenges here and there.

3 Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Metacritic Score: 76

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is the highest-rated Super Monkey Ball game available on pretty much any platform. Most importantly, it’s the highest-rated game in the franchise available on PC, where much of the marble-rolling community is. This classic series is the odd exception, as it was historically available only in arcades and on consoles.

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In Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, the player must help the titular monkey complete courses and gather bananas to increase their score. Those games do technically have a story, but as can be expected from a series called Super Monkey Ball, skipping the first few games to play this one isn’t going to ruin the plot.

2 Marble It Up! Ultra

Metacritic Score: 76

Marble It Up! Ultra is all about speed, except for the many multiplayer variants and a handful of puzzle-focused levels. Still, the sense of speed that this game delivers is unlike anything in the genre. This is clearly what the game is designed to do, and it’s what it does best.

The multiplayer modes are also plenty of fun, granted players can find opponents. The game was never super popular, and it’s been a few years since its release, so these days the servers are often empty. Still, some of the best unusual multiplayer modes, like soccer and a weird variant of the children’s game It, only require a handful of players to fully enjoy.

1 Venineth

Steam User Rating: 82%

Venineth is a unique and chilling exploration game about moving a marble in alien landscapes where no organic life can be found. This is the perfect setting for a marble game, avoiding the ludicrous setups of games like Super Monkey Ball in favor of a sci-fi setting with plenty of atmosphere.

The sphere itself goes hand in hand with the mysterious alien setting. Venineth’s protagonist sphere is so heavy that seeing it nimbly rolling down a hill seems unthinkable. This makes the puzzle focus and slower pacing, an exception to the genre’s rule of fast-paced platforming, fit naturally within the setting.

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