Balatro is a roguelike deckbuilder that arrived in February 2024 across PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. The game tasks players with building synergistic card combinations to rack up high scores, with each run offering different seeds and variables to experiment with.
Since launch, Balatro has developed a devoted audience and spawned a wave of spiritual successors and inspired games. Industry observers have cited it alongside titles like Clair Obscur as proof that audiences hunger for bold, distinct gameplay concepts. The game itself has become a touchstone for discussion - guides have circulated around optimal seeds for broken runs, and comparisons between the PC and mobile versions highlight the desktop release's superior controls and value. Meanwhile, fans have pushed the game into unexpected places, including getting it running on Nintendo DS, while developers have mined its combo-chaining appeal for new projects like the city-building hybrid Combolands and various slot-machine and fashion-battle mashups.
via Polygon
Kaz, a new Steam roguelike that's like Balatro combined with a Flash game from the Newgrounds era of the internet, is Steam's coolest new roguelike.
via Pocket Gamer News
Dice A Million, the roguelike dice-roller, is out now on Android, and arriving soon on iOS. The latest Balatro-like to hit the market, Dice A Million also looks to be evading the ever-increasing potholes of oversaturation. And it does so by taking one of the oldest pastimes known…
via Pocket Gamer
I've said it before, but it bears reiterating that Balatro has managed to kick off virtually its own subgenre. Not that this is a bad thing, mind, as it means we've got plenty of ingenious twists on the formula. And one of the latest is none other than Offbrand Games' Ultrapool,…
via Pocket Gamer News
Ever since Balatro combined the roguelike with poker, it seems that many developers have tried their hand at coming up with a similar combination. And the RPG has been a favourite to try and put a twist on, as you can see with the newly released Slots & Daggers for iOS and Androi…
via Rock Paper Shotgun
It is time to confront the terrible truth that I once took part in a school fashion show. I ran in two categories, Ballroom and Street, a serious test of range for a kid who had only recently mastered the devilish technique of wearing a shirt without a tie. In the Ballroom bracke…
via Polygon
Combolands combines the combo-chaining thrills of Balatro with the strategic placement of Cities: Skylines
via TheGamer
Balatro is shaping up to be the new Doom.
via AllKeyShop
Discover why Balatro on PC offers a better experience than mobile, featuring precise controls, clearer visuals, and significant price advantages.
Enter the CloverPit. CloverPit launched on PC last year and quickly built up quite the reputation. It sold over a million copies thanks to its super-addictive gameplay loop, and currently sits with over 12,000 reviews (the vast majority of which are 'Very Positive') on Steam . In…
Bit of a gamble. If you're into endlessly replayable roguelikes that are all about racking up crazy high scores using various synergies and perks, CloverPit has probably been on your radar. It's been available on PC since September of last year, where it has over 12,000 "Very Pos…
via Polygon
Combolands combines the combo-chaining thrills of Balatro with the strategic placement of Cities: Skylines
via GamesRadar+
"Courage is a consistent factor of most hit titles," says Rami Ismail
via TheGamer
Use these seeds to get the most broken Balatro runs possible.
via Rogueliker
If you've played Slay the Spire and Balatro and want more great roguelike deckbuilders, this list stars several ace deckbuilding games.