I had an inkling that Balatro would be a game that I’d like, but I wasn’t at all prepared for just how much I’d enjoy it. The demo I just finished playing precedes the full version of the game, which is due to land on Steam on February 20th. Consider me unusually hyped.
You can download the demo now, and it’s actually a near complete slice of the game, to give you a crystal clear idea of what the game is all about. Balatro takes the heart of a poker game and the soul of a roguelike, and by mashing them together they create one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences that I’ve had in ages.
Considering the aforementioned demo and the fact that the full version is due to land in a matter of days, I won’t spend too much time on explaining the mechanics here.
Simply put, players are dealt a bunch of cards, and you can discard some to make space for new cards in your hand. You’re looking to build high value poker hands out of those cards, and then play them with bonus multipliers. Doing so helps you score big, and you’ll need to so you can beat the blinds and up the ante.
If you don’t know poker, much of that won’t make immediate sense. If that’s the case for you, I’d recommend just jumping straight in, as I think the game will still be enjoyable for novice players. Developer LocalThunk has included the option to see the value of the different hands, and the tutorial explains how everything works. Obviously an understanding of poker will help, but I don’t think it’s essential.
Try the demo yourselves over on Steam, and stay tuned to Rogueliker for more on Balatro. I’m already looking forward to diving back into this one as soon as I can get my hands on the final build!
If you've enjoyed this article, please share it with your network and help spread the word!
Still with us? Of course you are! If you want to keep reading about great hand-picked rogues, the following articles represent a huge collection of the best roguelike games ever made.
Next, there are genre-specific lists that delve into the best roguelike games of all types. I’ve pulled out the best examples from each category, alongside the links to more in-depth articles!
The best turn-based roguelikes: Caves of Qud | There are some seriously incredible turn-based roguelikes out there. Of all the modern games, these are the closest to the original Rogue.
Awesome first-person rogues: Gunfire Reborn | We almost went with Blue Prince for this spot, but most people checking out first-person rogues probably want to wield a gun, you know?!
Cool roguelike deckbuilders: Balatro | Sorry, Slay the Spire fans, but this poker-solitaire deckbuilder has stolen Mike’s heart and won’t give it back.
Exciting roguelike platformers: Spelunky | Now, don’t get us wrong, Dead Cells is an incredible game, especially with all the DLC switched on. But when it comes to impact, you just can’t beat Spelunky.
Amazing action-roguelites: Hades 2 | And finally, let’s wrap things up with our favourite of them all. There’s no beating the original Hades, although Hades 2 comes pretty close!
