Crazy Game of the Month: CloverPit — A Slot-Machine Horror
If you call CloverPit a “crazy game,” you’re not wrong but calling it just that might undersell how weirdly ambitious and unsettling it can be.
Released in September 2025 on PC and hitting Xbox Series X|S via Game Pass on November 20, 2025, CloverPit blends first-person roguelite mechanics with the randomness of a slot machine… and yeah, that combo gets pretty wild pretty fast.
As someone who’s always been drawn to games that feel a little off-kilter, I jumped in full throttle, and came out equal parts fascinated and furious.
What is CloverPit and why does it feel so crazy
In CloverPit, you’re trapped in a grim little cell with only a slot machine to play. Your goal? Use the slots to pay off an ever-increasing debt each round or you fall through a trapdoor.
But it’s more than just luck. You’ll find 150+ items, each with twisted effects, some boost your chances, others sabotage you, and a few are just straight-up cursed. It’s a game built around risk, desperation, and the illusion of control. That’s what makes it feel like a crazy game, you’re gambling for survival.
What I’ve Felt Playing CloverPit
Addictive… but Exhausting
From my own time with CloverPit, I totally get why people call it “addictive in the worst way.” I’ve had runs where I felt like a genius, chaining perfect spins and stacking perks like I actually knew what I was doing. And then, five minutes later, I’d be staring at that trapdoor again wondering why I ever trusted a virtual slot machine with my sanity.
The tension creeps up on you fast. After a few hours, you’re not playing for fun anymore, you’re playing because you need to beat the machine that keeps humiliating you.
The Loop Starts to Feel Thin
Once I’d put in a handful of solid sessions, the repetition started to hit me. The loop is clean, spin, pick, pray, repeat but it doesn’t evolve much. I caught myself thinking, “Okay, I’ve seen this combo, I’ve hit this run, I know how this ends.”
Even when I was enjoying it, I couldn’t shake that quiet feeling of, “Is this all there is?”
It’s the kind of fatigue that sneaks in right after the fun peaks.
The Gambling Question That’s Hard to Ignore
Something else stuck with me the longer I played, it’s hard not to notice how close this game feels to real gambling. Sure, it’s stylized and wrapped in roguelite mechanics, but the core tension is pure slot-machine psychology.
Every time I slammed the lever, I felt that tiny spark of adrenaline and I had to ask myself whether the game was being clever… or a little too comfortable with the idea of turning gambling mechanics into entertainment.
It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it definitely adds weight to every pull.
What Works And What Broke My Patience
What works for me:
- The aesthetic is hauntingly perfect: muted textures, flickering lights, claustrophobic cell design it nails that “put-up-or-pay” mood.
- Item variety is excellent: from helpful perks to cursed handicaps, there’s a lot of creative design in its effects.
- The risk/reward feels real: when you hit a good run, you want to gamble again because the payoff feels earned.
What broke me:
- The slot-heavy loop gets stale: 20 rounds in, I found myself praying for something other than another spin.
- Death is punishing: falling through that grim trapdoor resets everything, which makes failed runs feel brutal not just challenging.
- RNG can feel unfair: even with good items, you can still lose hard, especially late-game when stakes are high.
If you enjoy games that create pressure through atmosphere, tension, and smart player agency, you might like my breakdown of Amnesia: The Dark Descent – What Makes Games Terrifying? Even though it’s a completely different genre, the way it plays with player vulnerability and environmental storytelling mirrors the same emotional punches found here.
Check out the Cloverpit official page, to see updates and to follow the developers’ latest announcements.
So, how melty is it?
First Spins — 7.5/10
The concept hits hard. You immediately understand you’re not in a normal roguelite this is gambling for your life.
Mid-Game Dread — 8.5/10
As the debt rises, the fear mounts. You feel clever one moment, deeply scared the next.
Repetitive Loop Stress — 9/10
After a dozen runs, the sameness of the slot machine mechanic starts wearing you down.
Risk vs Reward Burnout – 9.5/10
High stakes lead to high tension and when you fall, it hurts. The trapdoor is unforgiving.
Total Melt Score: 8.4/10
CloverPit is brilliantly unhinged in design and ambition. But as addictive as it is, the loop might not hold up for everyone long-term.
I’m not sure I’ll master CloverPit and honestly, part of me hopes I don’t. The beauty of a game like this is how it teases you, makes you feel powerful, then suddenly slams the trapdoor. That emotional ride? This is when I realise what a “crazy game” truly means.
If you love roguelites mixed with existential risk, or you want something that feels dangerous, CloverPit might be your next obsession. Just make peace with the fact that “just one more spin” might be the bravest, and dumbest, thing you do.
Where can you buy CloverPit?
CloverPit is the demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette, a rogue-lite that traps players in a hell of their own creation. Locked in a rusty cell with a slot machine and an ATM, you must pay off your debt at the end of each round, or fall to ruin, literally!
