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Balatro

26 February 2025

I don't play a lot of video games, and so it is odd that Balatro is my first recommendation on this blog. Also, it is hardly an interesting or unique take to say 2025's Best Debut Indie Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Mobile Game is really good. Regardless, I am having so much fun playing this game. I want to talk about it and recommend it to you.

Balatro describes itself as a poker roguelike. The name Balatro comes from what they called jesters in ancient Rome, and Joker cards are a big part of the game. The poker elements of the game are immediately apparent. The roguelike parts of the game are harder to describe. Like other games in the genre, there are runs, randomness, and things to unlock as you go. Unlike other games in the genre, there is very little grinding. There is truly no penalty for restarting, and you can unlock everything with a click if you wish.

People who write about video games have done a better job than I could explaining what the game is and how it works. If you are not familiar with Balatro at all, this Polygon review is a good place to start.

A good card game is a game of skill that incorporates a luck element. Balatro hits that nail squarely on the head. You can become a skilled Balatro player. You also have to contend with randomness (aka luck) at all levels of the game. Once you master the fundamentals, you will want to develop a clever strategy. But the randomness of the game may thwart your strategy. When that happens, the game rewards flexibility and on-the-fly adjustments. Your path to victory frequently comes in unexpected and surprising ways.

And every now and then, your strategy really pays off.

I also enjoy how the game grows and changes as you play it. The game comes with many items that you can unlock by reaching different milestones or specific objectives. Those unlock-able items change the game in delightful ways. I appreciate that the game is clear from the first run about how much can be unlocked, and exactly what to do to unlock everything. One of my children says that I play Balatro like a Pokémon game.

I caught them all.

Finally, I like that there are no ads or in-app purchases. You can buy the game on just about any platform (and it is just as good on mobile as it is on a desktop). You pay a fair price to a small developer. You pay once, and that's it.

In sum, Balatro is a very good video game. I recomend it.

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