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Balatro is fantastic, update: 1 million copies sold

Biggie

By Biggie
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Biggie

Biggie

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It’s only $14.99. I used $7.27 in my gold points so it was only $7.72. But I would have gladly payed full price. The game is fucking addicting! If you enjoy Poker and card deck building games GET THIS GAME. 
 

 

/ballatro_header.jpg

Balatro

WWW.PLAYBALATRO.COM
Balatro is a deck-building roguelite where you must play poker hands and earn chips to defeat enemy blinds. Enhance your deck of playing cards, buy Jokers to modify each hand you play, and discover new and wild synergies to win!

 

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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17 minutes ago, Biggie said:

It’s only $14.99. I used $7.27 in my gold points so it was only $7.72. But I would have gladly payed full price. The game is fucking addicting! If you enjoy Poker and card deck building games GET THIS GAME. 
 

 

/ballatro_header.jpg

Balatro

WWW.PLAYBALATRO.COM
Balatro is a deck-building roguelite where you must play poker hands and earn chips to defeat enemy blinds. Enhance your deck of playing cards, buy Jokers to modify each hand you play, and discover new and wild synergies to win!

 

Which decks have you completed runs with so far?

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Biggie

Biggie

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14 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Which decks have you completed runs with so far?

Well I’ve only did about 5 runs so far and the first two I sucked. But I see can see it becoming addicting. I purchased a couple of Jokers and a tarot card. This is gonna be fantastic in handheld mode on the couch or laying in bed!

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Biggie

Biggie

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1 hour ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Which decks have you completed runs with so far?

What is the point of skipping blinds? Isn’t it worth it to beat them if they are easy and earn some cash?

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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If you're having difficulty getting deep runs, here are some of my suggestions:

1)  Once you're comfortable with scoring, and how game runs -- turn speed up to 4

2)  In first small blind, you generally want to maximize cash.  Discard cards until you can score at least a Queen-High straight, or a big full house.  I usually discard all cards below a 10.  This will allow you to get the necessary 300 chips by playing one hand.

3)  You want to increase the "Mult" early on -- buy any Joker that gives you mult.

4)  You quickly want to focus on building cash -- so you can spend it on card packs and cards each turn.

5)  There are lots of "combos" of Jokers that work well together.  Grab them when you can (i.e. the Joker that gives you Mult for all sell value of other Jokers, and the Joker than gains sell value each round)

6)  You are a slave to the RNG -- don't be scared to start a new run when it isn't kind

7)  Add lots of 10+ cards, destroy low cards, (or turn them into Stone or Gold Cards)

8)  Each card can have one enhancement, one seal and one edition.  If you try to add a second enhancement to a card, you lose the first one.

9)  In later antes, the x2 mult (or other numbers) are necessary to keep growing the chips you score per hand

10)  I found the Green Deck was the easiest for my first successful run -- as I found it the easiest to earn money in the early game

11)  It sucks when you get a bad boss blind power on the 8th ante and you lose the game.  I've lost more runs here than I've won.

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Biggie

Biggie

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8 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

I'm still not very good -- I've only been able to beat a few decks, and only one on the second level.   Unlocking more Jokers helps a whole lot.

I made it thru 8 rounds and the Jokers helped a lot. I unlocked the blue deck. 

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stepee

stepee

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Game Information

Game Title: Balatro

 

Platforms:

  • Xbox Series X/S (Feb 20, 2024)
  • PlayStation 5 (Feb 20, 2024)
  • Nintendo Switch (Feb 20, 2024)
  • PC (Feb 20, 2024)
  • Xbox One (Feb 20, 2024)
  • PlayStation 4 (Feb 20, 2024)

 

Publisher: Playstack

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 92 average - 100% recommended

 

Critic Reviews

Spoiler

3DNews - Алексей Лихачев - Russian - 10 / 10

A wonderful roguelike card game which twists poker rules in unexpected ways. It would seem that after Slay the Spire this genre won't be able to surprise in any way, but cool ideas from independent developers continue to appear.


Hardcore Gamer - Jordan Helm - 5 / 5

Wielding nothing more than a deck of cards and a poker-themed twist on proceedings, developer LocalThunk has conjured something incredible and awe-inspiring with Balatro. What starts as a relatively-novel twist on the deckbuilding format quickly blossoms into an experience that's equal parts methodical, experimental, chaotic but satisfying all the same. A game that rewards clever thinking, mathematical meddling and having the courage to be just that bit braver in uncovering just how far one can push its systems at play. Wherein success and failure alike stand as equally memorable moments to build off. A paradigm for what roguelikes and deckbuilders should aspire towards, Balatro is addictive, expertly-crafted and the new front-runner for what is easily the best gaming experience of 2024.


Hu3br - Lucas Moura - Portuguese - 10 / 10

Balatro is a fantastic showcase of how to create complexity by establishing a simple ruleset and building on it. LocalThunk’s debut title turns the simplest of poker hands something magical with modifiers and special cards and jokers. At the same time, it pushes the player to try new strategies with its bosses and to skip blinds for a bigger reward. I felt like I barely scratched its surface and I still yearn for more. 



Get ready to devote all your free time to it and watch your “perfect” strategy fall apart just to try it again and again. A must have for poker, deckbuilder and strategy fans.


Nintendo Life - Oliver Reynolds - 10 / 10

Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don't like roguelikes... and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp. It's an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there's really nothing else quite like it. We suspect we'll be hearing a lot about Balatro when conversations steer towards Game of the Year, because this is a clear and obvious frontrunner. Utterly sublime.


PlayStation Universe - Sebastian Hawden - 10 / 10

It will be very difficult to find a game I have enjoyed exploring more than Balatro this year. Learning its mechanics were like learning a new language and it was all-encompassing. Balatro should be the design template going forward for many designers, it contain 0% fat and is trimmed to perfection. Not a pixel or mechanic is wasted in this immensely addictive roguelike. Its a shame that so many people will just gloss over its pure presentation and design. Bravo all involved.


Screen Rant - Leo Faierman - 5 / 5

With its unlockable deck types, tricky economy, advanced joker concepts, challenge runs, and ascension-like “stake” system, Balatro offers countless hours to engage its treacherous machine of diversion. If this was preinstalled with Windows in lieu of Microsoft’s mandatory, productivity-wrecking Solitaire back in the 90s, modern civilization as we know it could have very well ground to a halt. For fans of deckbuilders, Balatro is an addictively delicious, menacing creation which devours hours without mercy. It should be handled with great care.


Siliconera - Jenni Lada - 10 / 10

The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos. Switch version reviewed. Everything comes together beautifully and seamlessly in Balatro, and it is now one of my favorite deck-building games ever.


XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 10 / 10

Balatro is my new gaming obsession, I frigging love it. Deckbuilding roguelikes have had some phenomenal games over the years. Balatro reaches the lofty peak of Slay the Spire and has me hooked even harder than that incredible game ever did.  You should buy it, now. Buylatro!


Digital Chumps - Nathaniel Stevens - 9.5 / 10

Balatro from developer LocalThunk is a marvel of a poker experience. While its base-level design is poker, the game’s complicated layers of beautiful strategic ridiculousness driven by upgrades, buffs, and jokers make for a unique experience that is both stimulating and challenging.


Game Informer - Marcus Stewart - 9.5 / 10

Balatro is an ingenious and entertaining roguelike and one of my favorite games of the year. Playing it has become a near-obsession; everything feels perfectly designed to encourage you to keep trying because that next run could be the run of your life. Even after hours of play, I still can’t overcome Balatro’s biggest challenge: putting it down.


God is a Geek - Lyle Carr - 9.5 / 10

Balatro is a masterfully crafted Roguelike card game, that's easy to learn thanks to its poker mechanics but hard to master.


Nintendo Blast - Alan Murilo Pereira Duque - Portuguese - 9.5 / 10

If you're looking for games that are easy to learn, difficult to master and practically impossible to put down, there are very few similar titles on the market like Balatro. Even with one or two mistakes, it's difficult not to recommend this game. I only advise you to be careful with your productivity if the Switch is always within reach and you like cards: suddenly just ten more minutes can turn into hours spent searching for the perfect joker, and this is not even remotely a bluff.


PSX Brasil - José Viana - Portuguese - 95 / 100

Balatro is a true phenomenon. Simple in its execution, but giant in its complexity.


PC Gamer - Abbie Stone - 91 / 100

A roguelike deckbuilder debut already worth of joining Slay the Spire and Monster Train at the King's table. Essential.


COGconnected - Lou Sytsma - 90 / 100

Balatro is addictive. I’m not much of a poker or deck builder player, but I find the combination of the two irresistible. If you have an interest in either, then this game is sure to entice you. Especially since the game is out on every platform and is available now.


GameBlast - Farley Santos - Portuguese - 9 / 10

Balatro emerges as a captivating example in the roguelike genre, skillfully blending poker elements with deck-building structure. The simplicity of its rules, combined with the strategic depth offered by the varied modifiers, creates an immersive experience. For strategy game aficionados, roguelike fans, or even for those who have never ventured into poker, the title offers a rich, challenging and, above all, fun experience, promising hours of challenge and satisfaction.


GameLuster - Nairon Santos de Morais - 9 / 10

To put it in terms as simple as the game itself, Balatro is the best deckbuilding roguelike I've played. And I've played as many as there are cards in a deck (almost).


GameSpew - Kim Snaith - 9 / 10

No two games of Balatro are ever the same, which is only one of the reasons why we love this poker roguelike so much. Sure, it’s annoying if your run doesn’t get off the ground — it’s easy to fail early on if you can’t get your hands on a good Joker. But when you’re in the swing of things, scoring tens of thousands with just one hand, you’ll feel like the most powerful card baron there ever was. Simple and devious, Balatro is, quite frankly, brilliant — and I’m going to be playing this for months to come.


GamingTrend - Corvo Rohwer - 90 / 100

While the idea of a poker roguelike might sound like a niche game, the flair and fun found within Balatro makes it an absolute must-play for fans of the genre. Breaking the rules of poker to score millions of chips in a single hand was a rush, and I was always chasing ways to push it even further beyond. While there are a few times you can feel snubbed by the luck of the draw, these are wildly overshadowed by the moments where you hit it big.


NintendoWorldReport - Alex Orona - 9 / 10

Now, please, let me play my Balatro in peace. I got an idea for a sick flush strat that I want to try out. So I'll y'all later.


Pure Xbox - PJ O'Reilly - 9 / 10

Balatro is an incredibly clever indie gem that uses the bones of regular poker to build an incredibly approachable and fiendishly addictive new experience. There's a wonderfully slick core to this one, building decks and taking on dealers as you add wild special cards and variables to your pack is trance-inducing stuff and, backed by a fantastically understated soundtrack and perfect visuals, it makes for one of the first proper, actual, absolute must-play games of 2024.


Push Square - Stephen Tailby - 9 / 10

Between the main game, seeded runs, and a Challenge mode to really test your skills, there's endless fun to be drawn from Balatro. With so many variables to experiment with, sleek presentation, and hypnotically addictive gameplay, this is easily among the best deckbuilders, and possibly among the best roguelikes, we've played yet.


Seasoned Gaming - Steve Esposito - 9 / 10

For a deck building rogue-like, a concept I have seen so many times over, Balatro thrives within its style.


The Games Machine - Alessandro Alosi - Italian - 9 / 10

Balatro ends up straight and with merit in the strokes of genius category. The recipe from which its sexy gameplay is born is simple and elaborate at the same time, and this is precisely the great strength of an original, charismatic, challenging but also deeply customizable roguelike deckbuilder.


WayTooManyGames - Leonardo Faria - 9 / 10

I am not exaggerating when I state that Balatro is a masterpiece of a game, a bonafide achievement in gameplay design. A single developer was able to take the core principles of poker, add in a ton of roguelike elements on top a brand new gameplay loop, and come up with something so addictive it will possibly ruin your productivity at work. This damn thing is basically a virtual drug. It’s so simple, so inviting, and downright impossible to put down.


video games are good - Nathan Hermanson - 9 / 10

Balatro is a simple and satisfying roguelike built on the familiarity of poker to make it one of the most addicting games I've played in a long time. The game's not content to just disrupt your daily routine, but also extends to the genre itself, setting a new standard for roguelike deckbuilders. By not trying to do too much, Balatro achieves gaming nirvana easily and produces an impossible-to-put-down experience that has me still hungry for more after 50 hours of playtime. For those who aren't familiar with poker or used to the cruel luck of the draw, Balatro can seem a bit brutal. But if you persevere, there's a special game waiting for you in Balatro.


Generación Xbox - Frank Montes - Spanish - 88 / 100

The time has come to put the scales and find out if Balatro is really worth it. Believe us when we tell you that it is a game that fulfills its main objective, which is to entertain you and keep you with the controller playing. A sense of accomplishment and fun has been achieved that always makes us want to come back for a little more.


Nindie Spotlight - Justin Nation - 8.4 / 10

A surprisingly-effective roguelike variation on poker, for those who enjoy it, and a pretty unique challenge


Digital Spy - Jess Lee - 4 / 5

It's easy to get a kick out of seeing how high the scores can get, but the game is as much about the gambles you take and the planning along the way. There's a deceptive simplicity to Balatro due to its roots in poker, and it uses that to its advantage to reel you in while regularly finding new ways to surprise you.


Eurogamer - Christian Donlan - 4 / 5

Poker goes into the blender and emerges in fine form.


Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 4 / 5

It's impressive how long Balatro's simple gameplay can keep you entertained so be sure to play it if you enjoy a good ol' game of poker.


Echo Boomer - David Fialho - Portuguese - Essential

Poker and roguelikes join hands in an experience that deserves to join the pantheon of games like Tetris and Solitaire.


Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Katharine Castle - RPS Bestest Bests

A clever roguelike card game about cheating your way to victory, Balatro is a generous and mesmeric take on poker with endless strategic possibilities.

 

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AbsolutSurgen

AbsolutSurgen

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12 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

This is absolutely gonna be a legitimate GOTY candidate!

I think its good enough to be considered.  I don't know if the voters would consider a game in this genre - most gaming "enthusiast-press"/influencers seem to exclude a lot of genres from contention.

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Keyser_Soze

Keyser_Soze

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13 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

Then it automatically loses out to FF7 Rebirth if you base it off overall score.

 

Most GOTY lists are made off of how much they enjoyed the game not review scores and Balatro seems to be getting talked about more positively than Rebirth at least in journalistic circles.

 

(I'm only really basing the above on Giant Bomb's impressions where they seem to just want to rush through the game and find the side quests as "bloat" while they have nothing bad to say about Balatro.)

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best3444

best3444

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53 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Why?  It's a great game.

Games from genres I don't particularly like win GOTY all the time.

 

This isn't a videogame. It's a card game. It shouldn't be in the same category. 

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Brian

Brian

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Mechanically the game is very satisfying.  I’m not sure it will hook me like Slay the Spire or Dicey Dungeon. I do think the overall presentation is a bit lacking in that regards from the couple of rounds I played last night. 

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