Balatro (video game)

 

Balatro is a roguelike deck-building game. Each playthrough of the game is called a "run." The player chooses a deck, each with unique effects, at the beginning of each one. A run is divided into eight antes with three blinds each of increasing difficulty.^[1][2] Blinds can either be skipped or played.^[3][4] A blind consists of multiple rounds, where the player has to utilize various combinations of cards to score points.^[1][2] To defeat blinds more easily, the player may choose to buy various cards which change the rules of the game.^[5][2] These items are bought in a shop in between rounds.^[1][6]

Each Ante consists of three rounds: Small Blind, Big Blind, and the Boss Blind, which provide additional challenges which increase difficulty, such as debuffing the effects of certain cards or requiring the player to clear the round in only one hand. In each round, players have a limited number of poker hands within which they must beat a target score, as well as a limited number of discards in which they may replace up to five cards in their hand with different ones. The game ends if the player runs out of hands before reaching the target score.^{[7][8][9][4][3][2]}

During a round, the player draws cards from a deck of cards. Starting at 52, new playing cards are added throughout the game. The player then selects up to five cards, with the objective of forming poker hands to score points.^[9][10][11] The hand's base value is calculated and turned into "Chips," which are then multiplied by "Mults" that depend on the type of card and current jokers.^[9] Joker cards affect the game in various ways, such as offering additional Chips or Mults when conditions are met or changing how certain poker hands can be played.^{[5][12][10][9]}

Once a Blind has been defeated, players are awarded with cash based on their performance, after which they are taken to a shop.^[3][1] Here, the player may use cash earned by clearing Blinds or selling unwanted cards to purchase individual cards, packs containing a random set of cards to choose from, and vouchers which add additional perks and conditions for the remainder of the run.^[1][3] After the player wins 8 antes, completing a run, they can continue the game in an endless mode where they see how many points they can get.^[5]

In addition to Jokers, players can obtain additional playing cards, allowing for unique poker hands such as a "Five of a Kind", "Flush House" or "Flush Five" to be played, along with various consumable cards.^[2][3] Tarot cards provide various one-time effects, such as changing cards to different suits or enhancing them to provide bonuses when played.^[5][9] Planet cards raise the level of select poker hands, increasing their base Chip x Mult value when played. Spectral cards, which can only be found in packs, provide more effects beyond what Tarot cards can offer, such as providing finishes to cards that automatically apply bonuses when in play.^[9]

The types of card decks that the player chooses at the beginning of a run also have their own effects; the player starts out with a "starter" series of decks, and completing runs can unlock new ones.^[5] Clearing runs also unlocks "stakes" for the deck used which add more difficult conditions to the run.^[5][13] New special cards and vouchers can be unlocked for future runs by clearing certain conditions.^[3]

Balatro was developed by LocalThunk, an anonymous solo developer based in Canada. His name comes from Löve's (the game's framework) way of declaring variables, "Local," and a common variable name in his projects, "Thunk."^[14] In an interview, he said that he mostly plays online competitive games, and that he ponders roguelike games more than actually playing them.^[15] Despite the game's theme, LocalThunk said he doesn't play poker, nor does he want the game to be used for gambling by casinos and players.^[16]

Development began two-and-a-half years prior to release, and the game was initially intended to be one of several small games that were shared with friends.^[17][18] The initial idea was an online version of the Cantonese card game Big Two, which has players playing a number of cards to create poker-like hands. After seeing the number of roguelike deckbuilders on Steam, and after watching a Twitch stream of Northernlion playing Luck Be a Landlord, a slot machine-themed roguelike,^[18][19] he was inspired to turn his Big Two clone into single-player roguelike deckbuilder without online play. According to himself, he avoided playing any of the other deckbuilders to avoid taking ideas from these games, and had only played Slay the Spire near the end of development to understand how that game implemented its control scheme.^[18] He at one point considered the name Joker Poker for the game, before settling on balatro, a professional jester or buffoon.^[20]

A very early version of the game was circulated among his friends, who gave positive reviews after months of playing.^[14] About a year prior to release, LocalThunk quit his day job to focus on finishing Balatro "to put on a resume." An early build was released on Steam, which eventually led to major streamers playing the game and providing pre-release publicity. As a result of this publicity, LocalThunk incorporated some player feedback into the final version of the game, including the addition of boss battles.^[18]

Balatro was programmed in the Lua Programming Language using the Löve game framework.^[21]

In 2023, prior to release, the game became available as a demo. It was removed by LocalThunk on January 1, 2024, and was brought back on January 25, the new version containing 40 new Jokers, new bosses, and the ability to buy booster packs. The new version was uploaded alongside a new trailer and a release date for the full version of the game, February 20.^[13] In April 2024, the game was made easier with an experimental balance patch, 1.0.1c.^[22]

Shortly after the game's release, Balatro's PEGI rating was changed from 3+ to 18+ for "prominent gambling imagery" due to PEGI's strict rules on portraying gambling, causing the game to be removed from sale in certain territories. Publisher Playstack stated that they had discussed the game's content with PEGI prior to release (causing its initial 18+ rating to be lowered to 3+) and that, while being based on poker, the game does not portray any form of gambling, and intended to appeal the re-rating.^[23]

Three free "Friends of Jimbo" updates, adding interchangeable cosmetic packs featuring crossovers with other video games, were released on August 27, October 24, and December 12, 2024, respectively. The first update features crossovers with The Witcher 3, Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver and Among Us,^[24] the second update features crossovers with Cyberpunk 2077, The Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire and Stardew Valley,^[25][26] and the third update features crossovers with Divinity: Original Sin II, Shovel Knight, Potion Craft, Enter the Gungeon, Cult of the Lamb, Don't Starve, 1000xResist and Warframe.^[27] Additionally, content based on Balatro was added to Dave the Diver via a free update released on October 24, 2024.^[28] A large update to Cyberpunk 2077 in December 2024 added a Balatro-themed quest.^[29]

LocalThunk and Playstack confirmed plans for ports to Android and iOS mobile devices in March 2024.^[30] The ports were released on September 26, 2024, including a Balatro+ version for Apple Arcade.^[31] The game became the top downloaded game on the same day.^[32]

A physical deck of playing cards using Balatro's pixel graphic arts, produced by Fangamer, is set to be released in 2025.^[33]

Balatro has received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic.^{[34][35][36][37]} OpenCritic, another aggregator, said that 100% of critics recommend the game.^[38]

The game's playability has received praise from critics. Simon Cardy from IGN calling it "ludicrously fun" and "remarkably approachable,"^[5] while Jordan Helm from Hardcore Gamer called it "addictive" and "expertly-crafted".^[40] Charlie Brooker, the creator of Black Mirror, called it "possibly the most addictive thing ever created" and that once it was released for mobile devices, "humankind's activity is going to drop about 25%".^[45] Writing for The Guardian, Keza MacDonald stated that "Balatro might be the best card game you will ever come across".^[46]

In addition, the game's roguelike elements have received positive reviews. Abbie Stone from PC Gamer described gameplay as "strategizing your way to success,"^[42] and Alessandro Barbosa from GameSpot called each run "surprisingly fresh."^[4]

Within eight hours of release, the game had made over US$1 million in gross revenue according to publisher Playstack. Over 250,000 copies were sold in the first three days,^[47] 500,000 copies in the first ten days,^[48] one million within the first month,^[49] and two million within the first six months.^[50] It reached over 3.5 million copies sold in December 2024, less than a full year after release.^[51]

Balatro received nominations for multiple accolades. In 2024 it won Golden Joystick Awards' "Best Indie Game" and "Breakthrough" awards and^[52] The Game Awards' "Best Independent Game," "Best Debut Indie Game," and "Best Mobile Game" in 2024, and several minor awards.^[53]

• Official website