Balatro (video game)
| Balatro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | LocalThunk |
| Publisher(s) | Playstack |
| Engine | Löve |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | February 20, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Roguelike deck-building |
| Mode(s) | |
Balatro is a poker-themed roguelike deck-building video game developed by LocalThunk and published by Playstack. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2024. In the game, players play poker hands to score points and defeat "blinds", while improving their deck and purchasing joker cards with passive effects.
Gameplay
Balatro is a poker-themed roguelike deck-building video game, with the aim being to beat all rounds, known as "Antes", by scoring enough points and improving their deck with various joker cards, each with their own passive effects. Each Ante has three rounds, called "Blinds": a "Small Blind", a "Big Blind" and a "Boss Blind"; each blind has a target score to beat, which the player must reach by playing poker hands from a deck, having a set amount of hands and discards at their disposal. While the Small and Big Blinds can be skipped, which in turn can lead to various effects, the Boss Blind cannot, meaning that beating the Boss Blind is mandatory to advance to the next Ante. Each Boss Blind has its own unique challenge: for example, the Verdant Leaf, the demo's final Boss Blind, prevents all cards from being counted in scoring until the player removes a joker from their inventory, while The Eye disallows the use of a hand played previously during its Blind.
Once a Blind has been defeated, the player gets income depending on how many hands they have left as well as interest before being able to access the shop, where they may purchase various types of cards: Jokers allow the player to increase the value of their hands, usually by increasing the red multiplier under certain circumstances; Arcanas, themed around the major arcana of a standard tarot deck, can be stored for later use and used during a Blind: Celestials increase the scoring value of a certain hand; Vouchers, which are one-time purchases and restock after defeating a Boss Blind, affect various aspects of the game, like the player's available hands and discards or the price of Jokers and Card Packs in the shop.
Development
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024) |
The one-person team developer LocalThunk is based in Canada.[1]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 90/100[2] |
| OpenCritic | 100% recommend[3] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 95%[4] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 5/5[5] |
| Nintendo World Report | 9/10[9] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 91%[6] |
| Polygon | Recommended[7] |
| Push Square | 9/10[8] |
Balatro has received "universal acclaim", according to Metacritic.[2]
Alex Orona from Nintendo World Report called it "a smart game" with "deep mechanics" and "fast paced".[9] Jordan Helm from Hardcore Gamer called it "addictive" and "expertly-crafted".[5]
Within eight hours of release, the game had made over $1 million in gross revenue according to publisher Playstack, their fastest-selling game to date. Within three days, over 250,000 copies had been sold.[10]
References
- ^ "Playstack Goes All In on Developer LocalThunk's 'Balatro' in Latest Publishing Deal". Games Press (Press release). Playstack. September 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Balatro for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "Balatro Reviews". OpenCritic. OpenCritic Inc. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Stewart, Jordan (February 28, 2024). "Balatro Review". Game Informer. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Helm, Jordan (February 19, 2024). "Review: Balatro". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Stone, Abbie (February 19, 2024). "Balatro review". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Morley, Grayson (February 27, 2024). "Balatro cast a magic spell that made me like math". Polygon. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Tailby, Stephen (February 19, 2024). "Mini Review: Balatro (PS5) - Roguelike Poker Ain't No Joker". Push Square. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Orona, Alex (February 19, 2024). "Balatro (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Batchelor, James (February 27, 2024). "Balatro grossed $1m in eight hours". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
External links
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