| Balatro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
| February 20, 2024 More Details |
|
| Genre | |
| Card, Strategy, Deckbuilding, Roguelike | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
    |
$14.99 |
| Developer | Publisher |
| LocalThunk | Playstack |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1 | Everyone 10+ |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform Play |
| 180 Hours | No |
| Official Website | Official Website for Balatro |
Balatro Latest News
⚫︎ Balatro dev swings at PEGI for rating it 18+ because of its 'evil playing cards', jokes that he should 'add microtransactions' like EA Sports FC 25 to 'lower that rating to a 3+' (PC Gamer)
⚫︎ All Balatro's creator wants to do after the game received 5 nominations at the Game Awards is praise other overlooked developers: 'We all know how hard this industry can be and help each other when we can' (PC Gamer)
⚫︎ Balatro: Friends of Jimbo DLC Collabs With Witcher 3, Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver and Among Us (Game8)
⚫︎ Balatro Available on Google Play, App Store, and Apple Arcade Now! (Game8)
Balatro Overview
Balatro is a poker-themed roguelike deck-builder developed by indie studio LocalThunk and published by Playstack. Released on February 20, 2024, the game is available across a wide range of platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam), and mobile (through Apple Arcade, Google Play, and the Apple App Store).
As LocalThunk’s debut title and sole indie release, Balatro merges the classic mechanics of poker with the dynamic replayability of a roguelike to create a deck-building game where the objective is to score higher and higher blinds with wilder and wilder decks.
| Steam |
PlayStation |
Xbox |
Nintendo |
| Price | $14.99 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 App Store |
 Google Play |
||
| Price | $9.99 | ||
Balatro Gameplay
Balatro combines the classic mechanics of poker with roguelike elements, creating a gameplay experience built around strategy, chance, and customization.
Balatro’s core gameplay revolves around a set of escalating score thresholds known as “Blinds”, which the player has to surpass by crafting viable poker hands from a drawn hand of ten cards. Each hand contributes to the player's score based on card values, inherent multipliers, and additional effects from Jokers or other modifications. Victory in an encounter is achieved by meeting or exceeding the Blind's score requirement.
As the game progresses, the score thresholds increase and tougher encounters called Boss Blinds introduce more complex rules like preventing any hand with less than 5 cards. To adapt, players can enhance their deck through various upgrades, such as modifying card values, adding or removing specific cards, altering card functionality (e.g., the Golden Card), or incorporating Jokers—powerful, unplayable cards that boost the value of hands.
The game offers pre-constructed starting decks with unique rules, such as decks containing only red cards or excluding face cards entirely. Players can also make strategic choices between encounters, like skipping certain Blinds for benefits such as doubling rewards or adding extra cards
Balatro Reviews
As Addicting as Poker Itself
Balatro has quickly gained recognition as a standout indie title, praised for its engaging gameplay loop and captivating style. Widely regarded as a contender for indie hit of the year, it has earned acclaim from both critics and players for its addictive simplicity and innovative design.
Simon Cardy of IGN commended the game’s ability to transform failure into fun, a hallmark of great roguelikes, and noted its potential to occupy entire weekends. They concluded their review by jokingly describing the game as no Joker, but an Ace.
On Metacritic, the game achieved a 90 Metascore, signifying universal acclaim, with user reviews averaging a strong 8.3, reflecting general agreement on its quality.
Jordan Middler of VGC highlighted Balatro’s deceptively simple yet gripping nature, describing it as an experience that feels repetitive at first but becomes irresistibly engaging. They noted the game’s brisk 20-minute runs, which feel much longer due to their intensity, and described Balatro as the biggest time sink since Vampire Survivors.
Across platforms like Steam and Reddit, user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Players have embraced the game as a new favorite pastime, sharing strategies, creating tier lists, and developing high-scoring builds. Many likened its addictive appeal to real poker, with some even dubbing it “Poker 2.”
Balatro Announcement Trailer
Balatro Short Trailer
Balatro Trivia
⚫︎ The game’s name, Balatro, is inspired by Ancient Rome, where professional jesters, known collectively as Balatrones, proudly carried this title as their occupational moniker.
⚫︎ Each of Balatro's legendary Jokers is inspired by famous jesters and jokers from history and literature. Canio, meaning “Harlequin” in Italian, references the character from the opera Pagliacci. Triboulet is drawn from Terry Blay, the real-life jester of King François I of France, who also inspired Victor Hugo’s play The King’s Pleasure.
Yorick pays homage to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where he is remembered in the iconic graveyard scene. Chicot comes from Alexandre Dumas’s novel Chicot the Jester, while Perkeo is based on Paciou, a historical figure from Heidelberg, Germany, renowned as a winemaker, cellar-keeper, and festive personality.
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