Pit of Goblin Review (Xbox Series X|S)

Sometimes the best co-op games aren't about saving the world. Sometimes they're about being a filthy goblin who's desperately trying to haul food out of a monster-infested dungeon while your "friends" accidentally set you on fire. That's exactly the kind of chaotic fun that PIT OF GOBLIN delivers, blending extraction gameplay, dungeon crawling, and comedy into an adventure that's as entertaining as it is unpredictable. The goal is simple: venture into dangerous underground locations, collect food and treasure, and keep the ever-hungry King Queen satisfied. Actually surviving the trip home is another matter entirely.

At its core, PIT OF GOBLIN is a co-op survival extraction game where players descend into procedurally generated dungeons searching for valuable loot and food. Every run presents new layouts, hidden rooms, dangerous enemies, and plenty of opportunities for disaster. The deeper you venture, the greater the rewards become, but so do the risks.

The extraction mechanics provide a satisfying risk-versus-reward loop. Do you push further into the dungeon for one more piece of loot, or head back before everything falls apart? The answer usually depends on how much faith you have in your fellow goblins, which often isn't much.

What makes the gameplay particularly engaging is how many different systems interact. Food can be delivered to the King Queen, sold for resources, or consumed for benefits. Valuable treasures can be used to improve your equipment, helping future expeditions become slightly less suicidal. Every decision feels meaningful because failure often means losing hard-earned progress.

While you can technically play solo, PIT OF GOBLIN truly shines when played with others. The game supports online co-op and includes proximity voice chat, creating countless memorable moments as groups attempt to coordinate in the middle of terrifying situations.

Of course, coordination rarely goes according to plan.

Friendly fire is enabled, physics interactions can go hilariously wrong, and panic tends to take over when monsters appear. One minute your group is carefully planning an escape route, the next someone has accidentally ignited a teammate while another goblin runs off with all the food. The game embraces this unpredictability and is at its best when things completely unravel.

Unlike more serious extraction games, PIT OF GOBLIN seems fully aware that its greatest strength is the stories players create. The result is a game packed with laugh-out-loud moments that feel organic rather than scripted.

The dungeons themselves strike an effective balance between creepy and comedic. You'll explore crypts, mines, ruins and other eerie locations filled with traps and hostile creatures. The atmosphere is tense enough to keep players alert, but the game's sense of humour prevents it from becoming genuinely frightening.

The goblin perspective helps tremendously. Rather than playing heroic adventurers, you're scrappy opportunists just trying to survive another day. That approach gives the game a distinctive personality that separates it from many other dungeon crawlers on Xbox.

Repeated runs gradually unlock better equipment and provide opportunities to discover new secrets hidden throughout the Pit. The procedurally generated structure means no two expeditions feel exactly alike, helping maintain long-term replayability.

While the gameplay loop is straightforward, it remains compelling because each run feels like it can suddenly descend into disaster. Success requires balancing greed, teamwork, preparation, and pure luck.

The biggest criticism is that enjoyment can vary dramatically depending on who you're playing with. Solo players will likely miss much of what makes the game special, while random matchmaking can be hit-or-miss compared to organising a session with friends.

The humour and chaos are undeniably entertaining, but they can occasionally make progression feel messy. Players seeking a highly structured or competitive extraction experience may find the intentionally unpredictable nature frustrating.

Still, these issues feel more like part of the design philosophy than genuine flaws.

Pros

• Fantastic co-op gameplay

• Constantly entertaining emergent moments

• Strong extraction and progression systems

• Procedurally generated dungeons encourage replayability

• Proximity chat and friendly fire create hilarious situations

Cons

• Less enjoyable when played solo

• Random teammates can be unpredictable

• Chaos occasionally overwhelms strategy

• Limited appeal for players wanting a serious experience

PIT OF GOBLIN understands exactly what it wants to be: a chaotic, funny, and surprisingly tense co-op adventure where success often depends on surviving both the monsters and your teammates. The extraction mechanics provide a strong gameplay foundation, while the goblin-filled nonsense ensures that every session generates new stories worth sharing afterward. If you have a group of friends looking for an affordable co-op game packed with laughter, panic, and glorious goblin stupidity, this is an easy recommendation.

XPN Rating: 4 out of 5 (GOLD)

PIT OF GOBLIN is available now!