- Balatro is a combination of a deckbuilding, card and roguelike game
- Challenge the increasing stakes as you work to build the highest scoring hand
- Collect eclectic Jokers with different effects to achieve the best results
Balatro, Balatro, Balatro! If you haven’t heard this name yet, please send me the number of the rock you live under. While independent flavors of the month are fairly typical, a few manage to carve out their own niche where you can sit comfortably, sometimes by force. Such is the case with today’s topic, a Joker-filled game of solitaire, poker, and, I’m sure, any number of other card games.
From developer LocalThunk and publisher PlayStack, Balatro is the latest indie game to break boundaries and take the world by storm. And it looks like he has a chance to be among those lucky few who hold on tight and don’t let go, whether it’s thanks to the recent release on mobile devices or numerous collaborations on various series; from Cyberpunk 2077 to Slay the Spire.
You may have guessed it, but I was looking forward to the mobile version of Balatro. Since working at Pocket Gamer, I’ve been trying to live my truth (or whatever the word is) and actively play more mobile games. Balatro seemed like the perfect way to pass the time, but like Vampire Survivors, it may soon appear in regular rotation on my computer too!
But enough of the introduction. You’re here to find out if Balatro is right for you, or just to see what rating I gave it. Either way, it’s time to dive into this surreal deck-building roguelike game, so read on and let’s get along!
Reservation: I’m not very good at Balatro, hence all my screenshots show low scores and a Red deck.
Game
Balatro is uncomplicated until it isn’t. You must make hands of playing cards, which are then scored and multiplied to reach a certain bet. In the beginning you just need to focus on getting a good hand, but as the antes boost you will need to score higher and higher, well beyond what is mathematically possible with a basic deck and cards. Fail and your run will end and you’ll be back to square one.
Of course, there are alternative cards with different effects. The lucky card (depicted as a tattered, hand-drawn sheet of paper) can get you $20 into the store, while the glass card gives you a multiplier boost, albeit with a chance to break. But even this may not be enough. Fortunately, Balatro knows this.
This is where Balatro’s signature Joker mechanic comes into play. Typically not used in many card games, the jokers in Balatro are more of a collector’s item. These range from a random multiplier to multiplier multiplication depending on other variables you can fiddle with – and you’ll even unlock more as you hit more milestones in successful and unsuccessful streaks. Building a competitive hand can not only lead to a match, but exceeds the required score. They come in different varieties, sometimes only triggering under certain circumstances and more, and all add a fascinating twist to the typical card game.
As you progress and your ante increases, you will also have the chance to hop into the store. The “money” you win can only be spent there, on modern Jokers, booster packs, or other specific cards that expire after each launch. Then you move on to each different blind, starting miniature, moving to gigantic, and then to the “Boss Blind” with certain mechanics that may require you to play only one type of hand, weaken certain cards, or just provide a ridiculous score to match.
There are still more mechanics to cover, which may make this review way too long. Whether it’s using Tarot cards to change suits, Planet cards to boost the score of a given hand, or even Spectral cards with devastating yet powerful abilities. If you’re not a fan of classic card games, you’d have to be a fool (pun intended) not to give Balatro a try.
These tarot cards I mentioned, and their infrequent, ghostly cousins, can be used to tinker with the deck, changing suits, ranks, and adding bonuses to sets of cards, or even just destroying them.
Graphics
While graphics are not usually considered crucial in a card game, instead of the usual method of adding flashy particle effects and explosions, Balatro instead uses pleasantly crunchy pixel graphics. The hypnotic effects of the background patterns and expressive utilize of colors are very pleasing to the eye and despite the smaller screen it is still simple to distinguish the cards, with the possible exception of the deck of clubs and spades, as the former is a very shadowy green color that could be mistaken for black at first glance.
Jokers are, of course, a place for fun, and the designs for each often include their own jokes or puns. Ordinary playing cards can also have special versions, such as polychrome, foil, glass or gold, that stand out perfectly against the background of a regular deck. Regularly applying more subtle effects, such as cards “burning out” as you utilize them, is also quite nice. So while Balatro isn’t an RTX-ready Unreal Engine graphic, it looks very good, with plenty of custom effects that stand out from the crowd.
Audio
Sonically, Balatro doesn’t do much, but what it does do is very good indeed. The pleasant sound of cards being shuffled, the ‘ding’ as you get multipliers, and even sluggish, soothing music are all great for helping you become immersed and focused on the cards.
The music in particular is unique and, although repetitive, is still strangely soothing. If I had to describe it, it would be a kind of surreal combination of elevator music and lounge music, which doesn’t sound like it would be pleasant to the ear, but it actually is.
Efficiency
In terms of performance, the Balatro performed great for me. Considering this is a technically undemanding card game, I would be concerned if this wasn’t the case. In my case, I did experience some heating issues with the phone, but never to the point where it was a concern. As we’ve established in previous reviews, my S20 is probably taking some time anyway.
Balatro also offers both offline and online play, and while it warns you if it can’t load a cloud save, I never seemed to have a problem with losing progress. The options are quite circumscribed, but you can turn off effects like screen shake or CRT lines, adjust the volume, and even lower some of the graphics fidelity if you want extra performance for some reason.
What I liked
I think Balatro is a great way to spend some time. The roguelike element means that each round is different, so you won’t be tied down to a particular hand or playing style as you’ll have to adapt to the cards you’re dealt. This means there’s always a modern challenge, but nothing quite reaches the same level of satisfaction as when you get a particularly great set of Jokers that send your multipliers into the stratosphere.
It’s also one of those games that hits a somewhat infrequent niche of being a game that I don’t mind people looking over my shoulder. While it’s simple to make fun of someone playing Genshin Impact or Clash of Clans, if you want to look like an intellectual to random subway passengers, this solitaire-style game is sure to delight them as they look at this clearly mature individual.
What I didn’t like
Balatro is hard to master, especially if you’re not a classic card game player like me. Admittedly, it’s not really about “winning” in the usual sense, as the slowly increasing number of antes and correspondingly ridiculous scores you have to achieve are basically designed to slowly boost your best score each time and unlock more number of Jokers. In fact, by the time you finish any of the decks, Balatro will probably have already hit you challenging.
I wish it had more tutorials for “advanced” games. Understanding how to prioritize the Jokers, Tarot, Planets and Specters would assist me feel more in control of how I am doing. Although, given that there is always an element of chance, I can see why this might be a fool’s errand (pun also intended).
Who would want that? (New!)
It’s time for me to refocus on this extra review section! Basically, I’m answering a uncomplicated question: “Is this right for me?” letting you know why I think you should buy the game and who it’s good for. Think of it as a tl;dr for those who don’t want to analyze my views and nuances.
Put simply, if you don’t mind spending $9.99 for hours of gameplay on a truly fascinating, visually pleasing, and surprisingly deep card game that will keep you coming back for more, then this is the game for you. Balatro has great depth and uncomplicated rules, but with enough additional mechanics that even after 48 hours you’ll feel like you’re only scratching the surface.
It’s suitable for card game novices and hardcore players alike, and if you need a way to quickly learn some basic poker hands, it’s also a great resource.
Application
If you were hesitant about purchasing Balatro, don’t hesitate. This eclectic mix of deckbuilding, roguelike and card battles, with a robust helping of surreal sound and graphics, is well worth the relatively miniature fee to have in your hand wherever you go. While other mobile card games may require you to stay on top of the finish line and take on the toughest, Balatro is just you and Jimbo(?).
