Balatro Reviews
"Finally, a gambling game you should play!"
Review in Finnish | Read full review
It's impressive how long Balatro's simple gameplay can keep you entertained so be sure to play it if you enjoy a good ol' game of poker.
Balatro is fast and addictive, a game that takes familiar ideas and adds enough twists and turns to keep players engaged. Take a look at the Collection to see how many potential jokers, booster packs, tags, and more can influence a run. Each run generates a sense of excitement and possibility, even if it ends quickly after a run of bad card draws.
Though I have no doubt anybody who likes cards, poker, video games, or joy will have a great time with it, I feel I should also note that it does wear itself out significantly faster than most of its brethren.
It's easy to get a kick out of seeing how high the scores can get, but the game is as much about the gambles you take and the planning along the way. There's a deceptive simplicity to Balatro due to its roots in poker, and it uses that to its advantage to reel you in while regularly finding new ways to surprise you.
Poker goes into the blender and emerges in fine form.
Balatro is a surprisingly delightful experience, proving that neither a massive budget nor breathtaking graphics are necessary to compete with the AAA giants of the gaming industry. This is a very simple title that relies entirely on its gameplay loop, yet its simplicity manages to captivate in a way that few other games on the market can.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Balatro is a roguelike that mixes the classic rules of Poker with some innovative mechanics that make this a particularly fascinating, original and above all mesmerising title. It won't be easy, once you have understood the best strategies to continue in Balatro, to tear yourself away from the screen.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The time has come to put the scales and find out if Balatro is really worth it. Believe us when we tell you that it is a game that fulfills its main objective, which is to entertain you and keep you with the controller playing. A sense of accomplishment and fun has been achieved that always makes us want to come back for a little more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Balatro’s genius is exposed when you take the simple individual components of a run and combine them in the perfect mixture to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. And then you start trying to see how far you can push it, or what other combinations can help you reach e-notation. And then you’re there. You’re a Balatro fan.
Balatro stands out from other popular games today due to its accessibility and the convenience it offers for enjoyment anytime and anywhere—whether during a long journey, a work break, or simply for someone seeking to pass the time. With simple rules and a gameplay system that is both deep and engaging, Balatro seamlessly transitioned from a casual experience we tried out of curiosity to a captivating game that absorbed hours of our attention. Its availability on mobile devices further enhances its appeal, solidifying it as one of the most entertaining experiences in its category.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Balatro offers a fair experience within its propposal, inovating taking as basis a simple and intuitive system. Everyone should experience it the same way how a good Solitaire should be experienced: as a logic exercise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Balatro’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t have an overarching plot as to why you are playing cards, which doesn’t seem like a requirement for traditional card games, but for a roguelike deck builder, a little story seems like a necessity. The good news is that this is an easy enough deficit to look past due to how addictive and satisfying the gameplay loop is. Developed by only one person, Balatro is about 15 bucks and works around your schedule. If you have 20 minutes, you can play a few hands. If you have a free day and lots to do, Balatro can also ruin that for you. At the end of the year, Balatro might turn out to be the best deck-building game of 2024, but no matter what, it’s definitely going to be the best use 64mb of hard drive space
Balatro has taken the world by storm. As such, you probably have the game on install as you read this article. However, if you haven’t pulled the trigger and purchased your copy of this addictive title, then I suggest you do so here! Can you overcome every “blind” and complete a run? Pick your cards, choose your hand, and allow tactics and fate to do the talking.
The constantly challenging nature of Balatro makes it an unforgettable experience and a delight for Poker enthusiasts.
Balatro has taken a simple concept and turned it into one of the most tantalising and addictive deck builders that I’ve ever played. Playing the perfect combination of Jokers to pull off a victorious hand is always rewarding, whilst seeing your deck build up with each successful blind gives a satisfying sense of progression that makes the puzzle-like gameplay all the more captivating. And when you do fail? It’s hard not to just dive into another playthrough, with Balatro taking that ‘one more game’ concept and turning it into the cancellation of your plans for the rest of the day just so you can keep playing. It’s that damn good. It can have some sharp difficulty spikes and losing can be frustrating when you feel you’ve built up a special deck, but that’s par for the course as far as the roguelike genre is concerned. It certainly won’t stop you having a blast with the game, and believe me, once Balatro pulls you in, you’ll find it hard to stop playing.
Despite that, Balatro is an incredibly easy-to-learn deck builder with plenty of room for experimentation. Even after hundreds of runs, you’ll still encounter new options and combinations to twist your brain around. Even if roguelites and deck builders aren’t normally your favorite genres, Balatro is a game you need to check out.
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.
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.