Balatro

Well after 100%ing the game I can say, without a doubt, That this is the worst game I've ever played. You can definitely tell that this was made by a single developer, due to the extreme levels of dedication, creativity, and insane commitment to detail in every godforsaken joker, consumable, and just general vibe. And don't even get me started on this "soundtrack", as it's more of a constant and droning theme to the entire game. It too has obviously been created with love and I can't get enough of it (or seem to get it out of my head while not playing the game. So I guess if you want a great looking, sounding, and enjoyable game (that was obviously created with love) then I guess pick up a copy. As for me I'll be sticking to my AAA titles, and definitely not putting another 900 hours into this "great game"

Balatro isn't just a game, it's a lifestyle. Since I started playing Balatro, I've been thinking about Balatring 24/7. My grades in college improved because my math skills are now at a supreme level, as well as my love life. Since I started playing Balatro, women don't even approach me, so I haven't had the chance to be disappointed in love. However, I see this as an improvement, because I was already scared of them anyway. So in short: play Balatro.

This game is digital crack. The multiplayer mod gives it endless replay value

10/10 I didn't know how to play poker before this game, and could pride myself on not having a gambling problem I now have a gambling problem and i still dont know how to play poker

Played Balatro for five hours straight. - Psychedelic CRT vibes ? Check. I genuinely stared at the screen wondering if I’d lucid dreamed being transported into a ’70s cursed casino - Roguelike poker hands but make it : I illegally folded a Royal Flush and felt like a genius until the opponent blind beat me to tears... I still don’t know how I scored 212k chips and still lost - Soundtrack vibe : Hypnotic synthwave that haunts your dreams, plus satisfying card-click ASMR, now whenever I hear my phone click, I half-expect a Joker to pop up ! - Endless combos : With 150 Jokers, tarot, planet cards, spectral boosts... every run felt like building a chaotic super-deck. “Just one more round” turned into a 'whoops it’s 3AM' situation Verdict after little more than 5 hours ? I’m officially hooked. Who knew poker math could be this addictively satisfying? If your productivity is on the line, run. But if you’re ready to trade your soul (or at least part of your sleep schedule) for dopamine fueled combos, Balatro’s got your number.

Everyone knows Balatro by now, it's that one fun lightweight game you play when you're hella bored out of your conscience. Beats Solitaire for sure, but man, a whole year without a single gameplay update kinda sucks. I still do recommend this game a ton for people getting into it, but for me personally it dried down very fast.

I like Roguelikes. I like Cardgames. I like risking it all and getting back up. My joker cards play funny games with me. My blinds go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 8/10

As someone who's a fan of Hearthstone Battlegrounds, Magic the Gathering and many forms of poker (texas holdem, 3 card poker, Omaha holdem, etc) I was absolutely enthralled by this game. I don't think it's game of the year, but it is an innovator in the card game genre. It is well deserving of it's place as a card game titan. If you're a table top card game fan and/or a tcg fan, this is not just a must have for the fun, but also the innovation.

Addictive but entirely empty. Of all the hours I spent, the only match I remember is the one where I hit 400 billion. It's also WAY more RNG-dependent than any other roguelike I've played. You can go 10+ matches without the shop offering you a relevant or meaningful joker, and then you lose. It's not exactly soulless, but it is a time vampire that gives nothing back.

Balatro is an amazing roguelike card game. You have a 52 card deck, which you can enhance with joker cards (there are 150 of these). These appear at random in the shop after every level. You also have planet cards, which level up your hands, and arcane cards which are generally one time use cards. There are eight levels to beat, 3 rounds in each level, with the last one being a boss that applies various debuffs to you. Your goal is to reach the score on each level. After each round you can use the item shop where you can purchase joker cards, or other cards that will enhance your deck. This game is so much fun, and super addictive. It's easy to pick up, but tricky to master, and there are 8 decks to try and beat the game with. There are also lots of challenge decks to try too. Balatro is also super relaxing, sit quietly and play a few rounds as you unwind! Balatro is awesome, you have to try this game!

Excellent, wonderfully crafted game. Every sound effect and card visual is just perfect, the engine building is really fun and varied, the flow (time between rounds and things to do in the shop) is just right, and there's just the right amount of cards to force you to branch out and try new things but if you simply *must* have a particular joker or card you can probably land it. Really easy to get into, but enough depth to go toe-to-toe with any other deckbuilder.

24 hours on my laptop and over 100 on my phone so far. This game should come pre-installed on all Windows PCs instead of regular Solitaire. I was addicted last summer, and a year later, I still am. Incredible soundtrack, beautiful art, intricate mechanics, and truly infinite replayability. Simply phenomenal. Thank you, LocalThunk and Playstack.

It's no Vampire Survivors, but its the next best chill-out-on-the-couch game for the Steam Deck.

What more is there to say about this game? When you thought roguelikes were done, Balatro comes around and decreases world productivity by a statistically significant number. If you have an addictive personality, this game is a real peril. However, it's too much fun.

I'd bring this with me on a deserted island and gamble for coconuts and bananas with other survivors. I crave this game when I'm away from my pc. I see it in every deck of tarot cards and playing cards I see in the world. I can't get this game out of my head. I have a gambling addiction.

Addictive and well designed roguelite, slight criticism might be that it starts feeling repetitive after a while tough

This game is addictive and i fucking hate, i'm always super unlucky, 10/10

---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ Can count pixels ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Umm ☐ You can just sit in silence instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ A toaster can run this ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{ Game Size }--- ☑ Floppy Disk ☐ Old Fashioned ☐ Workable ☐ Big ☐ Will munch on your 1TB hard drive ☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it ☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data ---{ Difficulty }--- ☐ Just press 'W' ☐ Easy ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master ☑ Significant brain usage ☐ Difficult ☐ Dark Souls ---{ Grind }--- ☑ Nothing to grind ☐ Only if you care about leaderboards/ranks ☐ Isn't necessary to progress ☐ Average grind level ☐ Too much grind ☐ No sunlight or touching grass needed! ---{ Story }--- ☑ No Story ☐ Some lore ☐ Average ☐ Good ☐ Lovely ☐ "But Thats just a theory, a Game Theory! Thanks for watching." ---{ Game Time }--- ☐ *Blinks* Wait thats it? *credits roll* ☐ Short ☑ Average ☐ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{ Price }--- ☐ It's free! ☐ Basicly free ☑ Worth the price ☐ If it's on sale ☐ If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{ Bugs }--- ☑ Never heard of ☐ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ Bugs everywhere ☐ Cyberpunk 2077 ---{ ? / 10 }--- ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6 ☐ 7 ☐ 8 ☑ 9 ☐ 10

absolutly adicting. very fun to just do in youre off time. i like a game once in a whille that doesent need me asign a lot of time for it.

More and more games try to replicate what balatro did, but while they can easily adopt the gameplay mechanics to a different type of game, like constructing words, they usually don't have unique and striking art direction. Most jokers in Balatro are iconic by now, I highly doubt that some perks or whatever they are called in other games will reach the same level.

This game is incredibly addictive. It has a super fun game loop of crafting a deck around a few combo enabling cards, jokers, but also has more content to unlock throughout the game to keep it fresh and exciting for hundreds of hours. Especially given that there are a dozen different decks with completely different play styles, and each one has a dozen difficulty levels that also change how you play. This game is elegantly simple at first, and slowly but satisfyingly adds layers of complexity and skill.

way too addicting honestly, you can always come back and it has really varying playstyles, 10/10, peak

A game with such a simple concept, using poker hands to get high scored, that is so beautifully crafted to make a simple fun experience that can be played for hundreds of hours. The whole thing that will amplify your run are jokers that give crazy affects that really make this game fun. This game gives me my gambling rush and isn’t dependant on RNG which is so refreshing in a roguelite. It will suck hours of your life away but I’m happy I’ve spent 20 hours of my life playing this.

Love it, my favorite game to pass the time. It is quite easy to learn and easy to play. Just remember to read well. :)

9 hours in and I’m already deep in the rabbit hole. Balatro looks like poker but plays like a cosmic fever dream where stacking jokers, tarot cards, and fruit somehow makes sense. I’ve built hands so powerful they could power a small nation, only to cash out for five fake dollars and spiritual emptiness. It’s addictive, satisfying, and somehow both completely broken and perfectly balanced. Every run feels like a glitch in reality, and I can’t stop chasing that next absurd synergy. If you have a gambling problem, avoid this like the plague. If you don’t, congratulations, you’re developing one.

I highly recommend this game, it's quite captivating and the gameplay could go on forever.

Deck builder games are really NOT my thing, but this kinda take the reverse approach. You start with a standard card pack and then build (or remove it!) with jokers and tarrot cards to get crazy combos to build blinds. You don't need to know anything really about poker because it explains it all there. I have lost SO many hours to this game. It is the perfect example of "One more turn"

fun when u play it for the first few tens of hours very fun, doesnt get repetetive, every run is different, however, once you start playing higher stakes, the game becomes very rng heavy, some decks are a lot stronger than others so they have more time to properly set up and allow you to have to risk less and less rely on good rng, some decks basically require you to hit good rng early on so you can even begin to really play and try to make your run better, but yeah rng is an intended mechanic bla bla bla.. I personaly dont enjoy this aspect of Belatro, no amount of experience can mitigate bad rng, Great game tho

Great game for gamblers like myself. It is a lot like poker but built as a Roguelike where modifying your deck is very usual. A lot of the times though, things may not go as planned so it is exciting to play and does not bore players too quickly. Still I haven't touched it since I played it for the first two times because it somehow does not get to me too much. I think I could play it more often in school when there is nothing to do but there are more challenging games I rather like to contend since I am not into gambling alone. I imagine playing it with friends in a vc would be very fun.

Balatro no es solo un juego de cartas, es un estilo de vida. Respiro y tomo Balatro. Si tuviera un hijo lo llamaría "Full House" y si tuviera dos les pondría "Doble" y "Par" para mejorarlos a nivel 18 y que rompan las ligas de jefe cuando sean adultos. Brindo por Balatro, Como por Balatro, este me hizo mejor persona, y cuando tengo el celular descargado, cierro mis ojos para jugarlo en mi mente. La rueda de la fortuna dicta mi vida. Siempre tengo un plátano en mi bolsillo para sumar puntos. Me identifico con el Joker "Misprint" porque mi estado mental es así de inestable. No puedo subir las escaleras sin pensar en Balatro y el dia que mu3ra espero que pongan en mi tumb4 "Mur1ó en pleno Balatreo". El unico corazón que quiero es el de la reina. Mi papá cree que estoy mal, pero él no sabe lo que es ser la carta más alta de la familia. El día que el juego ya no tenga fans es porque ya no estaré en este mundo. Porque yo... Soy el Balatro.

Joker Poker Balala is a little better but it's a decent attempt at recreating it

replay value off the charts, combines elements of rogue-likes with card games, specifically poker. akin to slay the spire a little bit. awesome game :)

does not look interesting at all, until you play it, sock and buskin. 8/10.

Im already addicted. Apparently mobile is cheaper go get that... ima go seek mental help rq

I've heard really great things about this game for a while and was hesitant to try it out because I have no background experience or knowledge of poker. I figured I'd finally give it a shot as I've been looking for games I can quickly pickup and put down recently. I also figured I'd just return it if I found it too complicated, but that was never the case. The information you need to make plays is always available and I was surprised at how much fun I had from the very start! This is a great game and I see myself putting many more hours into it.

its as addictive as gambling but without the loss of money (but will come at the cost of losing your sanity losing at like ante 6)

I love getting a higher score than there are atoms in the universe to be rewarded with $4

[h1]🎴 Balatro – Review[/h1] Balatro is the wildest poker-based roguelike you didn’t know you needed – and once it gets its hooks in, it’ll refuse to let go. It plays like a high‑altitude mashup of poker, solitaire, math, and deck‑building chaos. [hr][/hr] [h2]Strengths[/h2] [list] [*][b]Addictive gameplay loops[/b] – Each run, known as an "ante", is broken into rounds where you must craft poker hands using your limited hands and discards. The mix of chips, jokers, and multipliers pushes you into ever-more creative strategies. [*][b]Approachable, but deep[/b] – Even if you don’t know a straight from a flush, Balatro teaches its mechanics fast and then throws you into the deep end. It’s a game that teaches you poker by rewarding experimentation and risk. [*][b]Controlled chaos[/b] – Joker cards twist the rules in absurd and satisfying ways, letting you build strategies around synergies, luck, and occasionally, sheer nonsense. [*][b]Endless replayability[/b] – Multiple decks, modifiers, tarot cards, boosters, and an endless mode mean you’ll always have new combos to discover and new builds to chase. [*][b]No greed, just game[/b] – No microtransactions, no gacha, no loot boxes. Balatro is a love letter to pure gameplay, not your wallet. [*][b]Playable anywhere[/b] – Whether you're on PC, console, or mobile, Balatro is buttery smooth and dangerously portable. [/list] [hr][/hr] [h2]Weaknesses[/h2] [list] [*][b]Late-game grind[/b] – Once you reach high ante levels or aim for completion, the difficulty and repetition can be punishing. [*][b]Not for poker haters[/b] – If you really can’t stand card mechanics, even Balatro’s genius won’t change your mind. [*][b]Minimalist style[/b] – It has charm, but the pixelated visuals and lo-fi aesthetics might not appeal to players looking for something more visually impressive. [/list] [hr][/hr] [h2]Overall Impression[/h2] Balatro is a [i]beautifully unhinged[/i] roguelike that nails the joy of experimentation. It rewards creativity, smart planning, and sometimes just sheer luck. It’s the kind of game where you think, “I'll just play one more run,” and then it’s 3 a.m. Some runs will frustrate you. Others will make you feel like a genius. That tension—that razor-thin line between chaos and control—is what makes Balatro so brilliant. [hr][/hr] [h3]Score: [b]9.0 / 10[/b][/h3] Balatro is a near-masterpiece. Smart, fair, and dangerously fun. If you like deckbuilders or roguelikes, this is an easy recommendation. If you don’t… maybe this is the one that changes your mind.

How can a card game be so fun and addictive? I came for the memes, wondering, [i] Is Balatro really as good as they say? [/i] And it turned out to be way better than I expected. Those positive reviews speak for themselves, it’s a 10/10. Give it a try, you won´t regret it. Canio my GOAT. [spoiler] [h1] ¿Sale Balatrito? [/h1] [/spoiler]

This game is like Tetris You hold your incomplete straight flush until you get that 10, settle for a full house when you run out of discards, and then get all of those 10s in one hand In other words, I love it

Now i understand why old people like Cards(teen patti) so much. It's addicting. Will i continue playing ? 1/4 chances that i continue ;)

I was hesitant to try this game, all it had to show for was it's cover art, I'd never seen any game play, nor trailers. It caught my eye with it's stellar art, which it followed through in the game as well. Not only did is exceed my expectations in illustration, it obliterated the scale for it's game play! Satisfying, addicting, and near perfect. It is not longer a question "to play, or not to play", this game will be played, and it will be enjoyed.

For the longest time, I saw people raving about this game, and I never really understood why. It's just making poker hands, over and over. Then I got the game. Now I get it. Now I have it on my phone, and my tablet, too. Get it.

At first I thought that flushes were the way to go, but the burnt joker has taught me that high card is eternal and if you think otherwise I will nail you to a ceiling fan and turn it on.

I have Ed and the only way to get my dihh up is Jimbo from the hit game Balatro that should have won game of the year

I bought both versions on steam and mobile and it was worth every cent. Best rougelike I have ever played would recommend.

Very good game. I would say that there is slightly too little variety in jokers if you're strictly playing to win on high stakes, but overall, very minor gripes.

Great game, very fun i will definitely keep playing it lots of variety and winning your first run is exciting if you suck lol

i love cards i love this game the numbers keep going up makes my monkey brain go bananas just like gross michel thank you to whoever made this game

What time is it? How long have I......? WHAAAT!?!!?? I wanted to get one good run in on Friday night and now I am late for work on Monday. Seriously though, this game is equal parts incredibly fun and a black hole that eats time with no remorse. Absolutely everything Localthunk put into this, from the visuals, sounds, and gameplay, to the incredibly accessible way the app was put together that makes it so easy for modding makes my brain go BRRR. If you have a touch of nostalgia, a love for math, or just the "happy sounds make my brain make happy juice" type of autism like I do, play this game at your own risk because you might not stop.