Cup Heroes

Genre: Arcade / Roguelike

Players: 1

.

Review:

WARNING: THIS GAME HEAVILY PUSHES MICROTRANSACTIONS

Cup Heroes, released in 2024 on mobile devices and ported in 2025 to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is a free-to-play game that combines Arcade and Roguelike elements with some RPG mechanics in a game that has your character facing off against waves of enemies interspersed with a minigame where players pour balls down multiplication gates.

If you’ve played mobile games in the last decade or even seen advertisements for mobile games, you’ve likely seen something similar to this multiplication gate minigame, where the idea is that there are multiple gates between the top of the screen and the bottom and you’re meant to figure out which ones will multiply your balls the most via the most simple math (should you aim for the path that leads through a X2, X3, and X2 gate, or the path that leads through a X4 and X5 gate? That sorta’ thing).

The addition Cup Heroes makes to this formula is that the results of this ball multiplication game are then used to buy Roguelike upgrades for your hero as he encounters increasingly more and more difficult enemies, and you’re trying through your choices to ensure that you choose the best upgrades… but that only works if you can afford them through your results in the minigame. Add on some permanent “Roguelite”-style upgrades between runs, and you have the general idea here.

It’s simple, it’s pandering, it’s not something that involves a whole lot of skill, the Roguelike elements aren’t extremely varied or clever, the permanent upgrades aren’t inspired either… and yet it’s oddly compelling in that “number go up” sorta’ way. I found myself enjoying the game even though I felt dirty for doing so.

This dirty feeling is not only due to the simple gameplay, but due to how blatantly aggressive Cup Heroes is with its monetization, with multiple currencies, constant reminders to buy coins or gems or whatever, and tons of confusing menus all meant to manipulate players into spending money to make “number go up” faster.

The presentation screams “mobile game” too, with its careless blend of simple cartoony 2D backgrounds with simple 2D pixel art characters, its extremely repetitive music that seems for sure like it’s filled with those public domain themes you’ve heard in numerous other mobile games, and menu design that reeks of mobile influence.

And yet… it’s still an enjoyable game. And I have to say, if you’re looking for a time waster that will keep you busy without requiring too much of your attention, Cup Heroes does the trick. Just be careful not to let it push you into spending actual money. Because while this is enjoyable, you definitely don’t want to pay for it.

tl;dr – Cup Heroes is a free-to-play game that combines Arcade and Roguelike elements where your heroes progresses through waves of enemies he fights with Roguelike upgrades he buys using currency earned in a “pour balls through multiplication gates” minigame. It’s simple, crude, and filled to the brim with really disgusting monetization. Yet despite all of this, it’s still enjoyable. Just be careful not to let this game anywhere near your wallet.

Grade: B-

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