Balatro

Balatro is a card game with roguelike elements, loosely based on the poker rules. The game was developed by the independent studio LocalThunk, and its release was handled by Playstack.

Mechanics

The main attraction of Balatro are card games, during which we play cards and build an increasingly powerful deck, as well as collect tokens and use them to place bets before subsequent duels on the table.

Although the game was based on the rules of poker, the authors tried to introduce a number of their own changes, which significantly influence the course of the game. Allowed poker hands (card arrangements) can be combined with various jokers, each of which has unique properties and abilities. In addition to them, we have been given a variety of decks at our disposal, including standard cards, tarot cards (strengthening the former), planet cards (strengthening poker hands), astral cards, and coupon cards (which provide us with access to permanent upgrades).

By using them and relying on various moves, we create diverse, sometimes powerful card combinations that allow us to win subsequent duels. The game requires to build a deck in such a way that individual cards complement each other.

Throughout the course of the games, we unlock new elements of the deck, and also discover various secrets, which over time increase our chances of winning in each hand. An additional source of information about which hands and jokers we should use more often and which should be avoided are detailed statistics.

Game modes

Balatro only allows you to play solo. The game offers a story campaign with eight levels of difficulty, as well as single, daily challenges and set approaches.

Technical aspects

The graphic design of the Balatro game was made in the pixel art technique. The game is accompanied by a synthwave soundtrack.

Last updated on 19 February 2024