We’re only two months into 2024 and have already witnessed multiple unexpected sensations in the gaming world. The latest game to take the gaming community by storm is also a surprising newcomer; Balatro. Available on Steam, PlayStation Store, Nintendo, and Xbox, the game had its official release on February 20th and captivated a massive audience right from the start.
What exactly is Balatro? How does it work, and why is it so popular? Is Balatro considered gambling, or is it somehow related to it? We’re here to answer some of those burning questions.
Balatro – An Unexpected Union of Poker and Roguelike
Balatro is built on the fundamentals of poker. That being said, the game is actually a far cry from poker and bears little resemblance to the classic card game. Balatro takes playing cards, poker hands, and roguelike games and combines them all into a video game that keeps you playing for hours on end. At the core of it, Balatro is sort of a roguelike deckbuilder.
- Game Title: Balatro
- Mechanics: Roguelike Poker / Deckbuilder
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox
- Release Date: February 20th, 2024
- Developer: LocalThunk (Indie)
- Price: $14.99
- Gambling: No
Is Balatro Gambling?
Well, if Balatro is fundamentally poker, is it considered gambling? The answer is simple: absolutely not.
Beyond the concept of poker hands and playing cards, Balatro has little to nothing to do with the type of poker that would be associated with gambling. It’s not an online casino game but a card-based indie game that’s widely available on PC and other platforms. You will not find Balatro on online gambling platforms, nor does the game feature wagering of any sort.
Balatro is not a game of chance. There is no bluffing or upping the stakes: it’s just you, your strategies, and the odd deck you’ve built for yourself. While the element of luck is present, it’s not overwhelming.
The Connection Between Poker and Balatro
While poker is a card game that has strong connotations with gambling, there are also other aspects to the game. Balatro takes the logic and rules of poker hands, throws them into a magical cauldron, adds various boosts, and leaves you desperately trying to score a winning hand.
Balatro is played on a standard deck of cards, but the true spice lies in the special features of the cards, various Jokers that could make or break your run, and whimsical rules introduced on different rounds.
When you first start the game, it resembles poker quite a bit. However, the more you play, and the more time you spend building your deck, the farther it gets from any traditional card game. While having some knowledge of poker could help you in the beginning, it’s not a prerequisite to enjoy Balatro. In a recent interview, the developer themselves, LocalThunk, actually revealed that they know very little about poker. Perhaps that played a part in Balatro’s innovative approach to card games.
Balatro Mechanics & Breaking the Game
Balatro operates on roguelike (or roguelite) mechanics. The game has turn-based mechanics, and the goal is to have a good enough hand to score enough points and proceed to the next round (or ‘Blind’).
The goal is to clear through as many levels (‘Ante’) as possible. Each Ante has three Blinds: a Small Blind, a Big Blind, and the fearsome Boss Blind. Every third Blind in an Ante is a boss stage with a special mechanic. The mechanic could be that all cards of a particular suit are rendered useless, causing the difficulty suddenly to ramp up drastically. Once you’ve cleared the boss stage, you move to the next Ante, and so on.
Building You Deck to Perfection
One of the biggest factors behind the explosive popularity of Balatro is the deckbuilding mechanic. As you progress through the game, you have more resources to create the perfect deck to ‘break’ the game. With the ideal strategic combination of cards, you could have a completely broken deck that demolishes the round.
Crafting the perfect strategy only to see it executed to perfection is extremely rewarding – and addictive – so it’s no wonder Balatro is off to an explosive start.
Reception from Players & Critics
Balatro has officially been out for a week and has already amassed extremely positive reviews. The game was a commercial success, selling over 250,000 units across different platforms in just the first three days. Those are some massive numbers, especially for a roguelike indie card game.
In addition to commercial success, Balatro has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players and game critics alike. It currently has a score of 10/10 on Steam, 4/5 on EuroGamer, and 90% on Metacritic. Most reviews praise Balatro for its addictive gameplay, strategic depth, and fresh blend of game genres.
Balatro has its fair share of competition, with numerous established titles occupying space in the card game and roguelike scenes. That’s why Balatro’s success is so astonishing: it managed to create a niche of its own and found a whole new space for itself in the gaming world. This just goes to show that a game doesn’t have to be overly complex to create an everlasting impact in the gaming community.
Our Thoughts on Balatro
As soon as we heard of a new poker game taking over the online communities, we were intrigued. After playing poker (and video games) for years, the BonusFinder experts were delighted to see a game utilize poker mechanics in an innovative, fresh way. Balatro is a whacky game that’s as ruthless as it is rewarding.
We believe this is just the start for Balatro and LocalThunk, and can’t wait to see what the future has got in store for them!
