BALATRO: First WIN on Steam Save // TutsTutsss
Greetings, gaming travelers!
I've been wanting to write about Balatro for months now, and the game's incredible success and recent Game Awards nomination have finally pushed me to share my experience. You probably have not read this post, but in it I share my love for deckbuilding card games and roguelikes, and in it I verbalize my admiration for the incredible game Slay the Spire, that I had just beaten for the first time on the maximum difficulty. Today I bought this new game on Steam, after playing it a lot with my friends and on mobile; because of this previous experience, and some lucky pulls, I had an incredible first run with ma boy Jabiroca and ended up winning it!
Balatro's main concept blends poker mechanics with roguelike deck-building, in a lot of ways similar to how Slay the Spire does it. Developed by LocalThunk, a single-person studio in Canada, and published by Playstack, this indie gem has taken the gaming world by storm, selling over a million copies and becoming a serious Game of the Year contender. Unlike traditional card games, it turns poker on its head. You're not just playing hands - you're constantly manipulating your deck, collecting unique Jokers, and creating synergies that can exponentially increase your scoring potential. The game's roguelike structure means that every run is a completely unique challenge, with infinite replayability.
The gaming world has taken notice. With near-perfect scores across multiple platforms and a spot in The Game Awards nominees, Balatro has proven that innovative indie games can compete with massive AAA productions. Critics have praised its "endlessly replayable" nature and the incredible depth of its mechanics. Metacritic scores range from 90-95 across platforms, with publications like Nintendo Life calling it "a clear Game of the Year contender". The game has not just captured the hearts of players - it's redefined what a deck-building game can be.
As I continue my quest to master every stake and unlock every achievement, I can confidently say that Balatro has changed how I think about game design. It's a testament to what a single passionate developer can create - a game that's simple to learn but really difficult to master. One who has done it is @drspectred from the Balatro University youtube channel, check him out!
If you're looking for an end of the year fun gaming experience, you have my suggestion 🃏✨
(Original image created using screenshots from the game in Canva.)
