Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, and on mobile by the time you read this
Genre: Roguelike, Cards, Deckbuilder Poker-like

There comes a time when someone comes up with an idea so simple and so obvious that the 99% people would be kicking themselves for not coming up with it sooner. Everquest but with WarCraft lore (World of WarCraft). Isometric action game with Greek gods (Titan Quest). A video game TV show in 2023 made in Malaysia but with evergreen features and video essays for the masses, while channeling the energy & excitement of your X-Plays and Electric Playgrounds (RTM TV2’s Main Game).

Time to add one more obvious-yet-not-so idea to the books: Slay The Spire card roguelike, but 52-deck playing cards and poker mechanics. And all done by one person named LocalThunk.

That’s right: we’re finally reviewing Balatro on Kakuchopurei, and it’s definitely one of 2024’s most addictive titles you can play on your own, be it on PC or on mobile.

Card Shark

I’m no gambling man like Kenny Rogers, but I do love myself a 52-playing card deck game if it doesn’t stab my wallet too much. Poker, Ginrummy, Blackjack, what have you. They’re all fun.

Now imagine if you take the first game I mentioned, at least the famous combinations like Flush and Straights, and make a roguelike out of it. LocalThunk did just that with their debut game Balatro, and it’s just as addictive as those gambling concepts I mentioned. Except in this case, you’re only paying once and not losing money subsequently. The only thing you’re cashing in is time. Lots of it.

When you start a run in Balatro, you begin with a 52-card deck. You pull out a default of 7 cards and try to beat the Blind/score by playing notable poker hands. Flush, Straights, Pairs even. If you get a crappy hand, just discard what you don’t want and draw more from your deck. You’re given a limited amount of plays; if you don’t beat the Blind when that hits zero, you lose the entire run and start over anew. If you win, you get money and you can head to the shop to buy upgrades to power up your deck and playstyle, then move on to the next Blind. After eight antes (stages), you fight the final Boss Blind which requires a much larger score to beat.

As you get to higher antes (difficulty) and bigger Blinds, these numbers may seem impossible to score with just your regular 52-card deck. Luckily, you have the option to buy extra cards with special passive perks in them, or even extra Tarot cards to modify your current deck. You can even buy Planet cards to buff up poker hands and plays. For example, if you’re focused on Pairs, you can buy Planet cards to buff that play so that you score triple or even quadruple the score.

And then you have the Jokers. In Balatro’s realm, they act as powerups and gamechangers. There are a multitude of different Joker cards you can unlock and collect in your runs, and they can make your day if you get the ones that complement your playstyle. Sometimes, the Jokers you get may even have you playing a different style just to get the most score out of your plays. You have Jokers that buff your score if you use Hearts suit more often, and Jokers that re-triggers Face cards played on the table, effectively doubling your score (if not more). Some Jokers multiply your hand score if you play less than 3 cards, while others give out multipliers and “run out” of these bonuses if played a good number of times.

Once you grasp all that, you then have to figure out how the runs work, and how you can maximize your time in the game. If you skip certain Blinds, you get bonuses that trigger immediately or after you defeat the next Blind. Boss Blinds have unique modifiers working against you, like turning off scoring for a particular Suit of cards, or having you play just one hand, or not giving you discarding options. Last Boss Blinds have even more absurd modifiers like reshuffling Joker orders, since having them arranged from left to right do impact your score and multipliers significantly.

All these culminate in a gameplay loop where you play a couple of runs, try to figure out the best way to power on through, then realizing that you may need to work your playstyle with the deck & hand you’re literally dealt with, while also buying the best Joker, Planet, and Tarot cards to amplify your set playstyle for that one run you’re sure to win.

And when you finally decide to take a short break, you realize that it’s 3am. And you started playing the game after 7pm. That’s how insanely enthralling this seemingly innocent mash-up of poker and roguelikes can get. The artsy-yet-simple aesthetics, sounds, and interface also makes playing every run of Balatro an uncomplicated affair; one that you prolong for hours until you realize you need to get to work. And even if you’re at work, the mobile version of the game may end up taking over your break hours.

We Keep Shuffling, Shuffling…

Christ, I’ve never been this addicted to a roguelike deckbuilder since Slay the Spire. The game has been out since March of 2024, but I always find new updates and the will to keep on playing after popping this bad boy on for the past 5 months. New Joker types, new card back art, and new excuses to kill hours just to attempt a new deck with unknown pathways and new Blinds to beat.

The best part? You don’t even need to memorize poker hands and suites as the game has that cheat sheet for you on display whenever. Turn-based game, remember?

Balatro is a triumph in simple-yet-airtight game design, combining the old of poker & card shark mechanics with the new roguelike and deck-building-to-perfection loop that leads to an addictive time. I cannot stress the amount of long nights lost to this indie title, just because I want to win a particular run, all complemented by dopamine-releasing sound triggers and results-achieving. I guarantee you that it’s a fun time whether you are a fan of playing cards or not; just one or two runs with this will get you hooked onto its proverbial talons.

Pros

• Simple yet addictive roguelike and deck-building gameplay.
• So many Joker cards and modifiers to mess around with.
• Tons of unlockables, so your first victory isn’t your last.
• Relaxing soundtrack and appropriate sound bites.
• Constant updates.

Cons

• Possibly too addictive.

Final Score: 100/100