Some games become popular because they are good. They don’t rely on gimmicks, trends or big advertising campaigns. They are simply great games and that’s why, upon release or some time later, they manage to reach their audience. In some cases, they even manage to break through and reach the mainstream. This is what has happened with the latest indie sensation: Balatro.
The premise of Balatro is very simple. We have a French deck of cards and we have to make the minimum possible amount of points each turn, using a maximum number of hands and discards. In each new phase, we have to achieve a greater amount of points to overcome it, while the points are obtained by creating poker hands. That simple. That limited. Or it would be if there wasn’t something else behind it.
Balatro is a game full of details that add depth to the game. We can obtain jokers that allow us to increase our scores. Bonuses that improve some of our cards. Or buy or destroy cards, if what we want is to have a deck tailored to a particular run.
Because Balatro is a roguelike. One that, like any good roguelike, gives us the tools to play in a linear and strict way, if that’s what we want, but also to break the game in all unimaginable ways. As many players have already discovered, it is possible to make hands worth millions of points with the right combinations, if not billions of points if we dedicate a special effort to break the game. This is not limited to a single strategy, partly due to the randomness factor, partly due to the simplicity and flexibility of its foundation, which makes the possible winning strategies virtually infinite.
That’s why it has become one of the most popular games of the moment. It’s easy to understand, difficult to master, and incredibly fun to break. That’s why it’s no surprise that its popularity keeps growing. Leading even to its developer, LocalThunk, deciding to take it further.
According to statements made by the developer to iMore, Balatro will be coming soon to Apple mobile devices. Without giving a specific date or the qualities of this port, they have only confirmed that the game will be available for anyone who has an iPhone or an Apple tablet.
This will contribute to further increasing its sales, which are already extraordinary. According to Harvey Elliot, CEO of Playstack, the game’s publisher, Balatro has already sold over a million copies. With its release dating back to February 20th for PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, this means that the game has sold this amount in less than a month, with the first 500,000 copies being sold during the first ten days. An absolutely staggering amount for an indie game, even after being forced to disappear from all online console stores for a few days.
According to the statement released by PlayStack’s CEO, the success of Balatro is “a testament to the quality and creativity that the indie sector can deliver.” Similarly, LocalThunk has also emphasized, in another statement, that “I still can’t comprehend the response to this game.” Demonstrating how impactful its success has been, even when it is well-deserved.
In addition, those who already have Balatro will have few reasons to stop playing. According to LocalThunk, their idea is to continue providing post-launch support to the game, including new secrets to the game. Something that, considering its success and how easily modifiable it is, would not be surprising to end up meaning the inclusion of new content in the game. Especially when in a tweet to announce that million copies milestone, they hinted that “we still have fun things planned for the future”.
For all these reasons, it is easy to assume that Balatro still has a long way to go. Not only because as a roguelike it is potentially infinite, as previous similar games have shown us with a lifespan of years, like Slay The Spire, but also because of the amazing reception it has had among the public. Something that seems to confirm that the popularity of roguelikes and card games has not been a one-day thing – the genre is here to stay.
