(Photo courtesy of Steam) “Balatro puts a unique spin on traditional poker.”
Aaron Preziosi
Connector Editor
From ancient roots to the contemporary settings of modern casinos, card games have found a way to captivate us. Initially released on Feb. 20, 2024, “Balatro” blends elements of standard five-card draw poker with popular deckbuilding, roguelike mechanics. However, in a game of “Balatro,” players do not face off against other players at a poker table. Instead, they must defeat various ‘blinds,’ which are score targets that increase exponentially as the player completes them. Points are scored by creating hands consisting of at least one, but no more than five playing cards, taken from a standard 52-card deck. However, “Balatro” introduces another layer of complexity to take things even further. By defeating a blind, players are awarded cash. This cash can be used in a store between blinds to purchase Jokers, which are special cards that grant the player certain effects that increase their score. There are 105 Jokers available to players right off the bat, and with 45 more that are unlockable through gameplay, there’s hundreds of different strategies available to players.
Additionally, the shop allows players to purchase other upgrades as well. Alongside Jokers players can find Vouchers, which serve as permanent upgrades for the duration of a game, as well as Consumables, which are exactly what they sound like: powerful one-time use items that grant the player an edge by increasing score, making cards more valuable or otherwise putting the player at an advantage. All these elements come together masterfully to give “Balatro” the addicting, endlessly replayable gameplay loop that has critics and fans alike raving. Whether the player is completely new to card games or a seasoned gamer, “Balatro” has something to offer for everyone thanks to a seemingly infinite number of strategies and combinations of Jokers, consumables, and upgrades to try. It’s no wonder why the game has skyrocketed in popularity since its release.
Furthermore, “Balatro” delivers in the audiovisual department as well. Using stylized pixel art combined with a hazy, analog-esque filter that slightly distorts the game’s crisp edges in combination with a relaxed synthwave soundtrack that’s easy on the ears, it’s sure to make the player’s head bob and get them in the zone for ever-escalating poker themed fun.
However, fans have been hungry for “Balatro” on the go, begging developer LocalThunk and publisher Playstack for a mobile port since its initial release. Thankfully, Playstack delivered and released a mobile port of the dreamlike, “hypnotically satisfying” deck builder for both Android and iOS just last week, on Sept. 24, 2024. Now, players can take the game anywhere and pass the time with endless combos and high scores.
All in all, “Balatro” is an indie hit that’s easy to pick up and hard to put down. It blends familiar aspects of standard card games with outlandish twists, good fun, dreamlike visuals and music, and thousands of combinations to keep players coming back for run after run. It is worth every penny whether it is bought on mobile platforms (iOS, Android) for $9.99, or on PC for $14.99 through Steam.
Grade: A
