Balatro Reviews
Balatro is a simple and satisfying roguelike built on the familiarity of poker to make it one of the most addicting games I've played in a long time. The game's not content to just disrupt your daily routine, but also extends to the genre itself, setting a new standard for roguelike deckbuilders. By not trying to do too much, Balatro achieves gaming nirvana easily and produces an impossible-to-put-down experience that has me still hungry for more after 50 hours of playtime. For those who aren't familiar with poker or used to the cruel luck of the draw, Balatro can seem a bit brutal. But if you persevere, there's a special game waiting for you in Balatro.
If you're looking for games that are easy to learn, difficult to master and practically impossible to put down, there are very few similar titles on the market like Balatro. Even with one or two mistakes, it's difficult not to recommend this game. I only advise you to be careful with your productivity if the Switch is always within reach and you like cards: suddenly just ten more minutes can turn into hours spent searching for the perfect joker, and this is not even remotely a bluff.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I am not exaggerating when I state that Balatro is a masterpiece of a game, a bonafide achievement in gameplay design. A single developer was able to take the core principles of poker, add in a ton of roguelike elements on top a brand new gameplay loop, and come up with something so addictive it will possibly ruin your productivity at work. This damn thing is basically a virtual drug. It’s so simple, so inviting, and downright impossible to put down.
For a deck building rogue-like, a concept I have seen so many times over, Balatro thrives within its style.
Balatro is a fantastic showcase of how to create complexity by establishing a simple ruleset and building on it. LocalThunk’s debut title turns the simplest of poker hands something magical with modifiers and special cards and jokers. At the same time, it pushes the player to try new strategies with its bosses and to skip blinds for a bigger reward. I felt like I barely scratched its surface and I still yearn for more. Get ready to devote all your free time to it and watch your “perfect” strategy fall apart just to try it again and again. A must have for poker, deckbuilder and strategy fans.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
With its unlockable deck types, tricky economy, advanced joker concepts, challenge runs, and ascension-like “stake” system, Balatro offers countless hours to engage its treacherous machine of diversion. If this was preinstalled with Windows in lieu of Microsoft’s mandatory, productivity-wrecking Solitaire back in the 90s, modern civilization as we know it could have very well ground to a halt. For fans of deckbuilders, Balatro is an addictively delicious, menacing creation which devours hours without mercy. It should be handled with great care.
Balatro emerges as a captivating example in the roguelike genre, skillfully blending poker elements with deck-building structure. The simplicity of its rules, combined with the strategic depth offered by the varied modifiers, creates an immersive experience. For strategy game aficionados, roguelike fans, or even for those who have never ventured into poker, the title offers a rich, challenging and, above all, fun experience, promising hours of challenge and satisfaction.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Balatro is my new gaming obsession, I frigging love it. Deckbuilding roguelikes have had some phenomenal games over the years. Balatro reaches the lofty peak of Slay the Spire and has me hooked even harder than that incredible game ever did. You should buy it, now. Buylatro!
To put it in terms as simple as the game itself, Balatro is the best deckbuilding roguelike I've played. And I've played as many as there are cards in a deck (almost).