Balatro

The result is a surprisingly layered and extremely addictive game, with pixelated retro graphics. Cleverly designed too, as all the bleeps and effects constantly provide little shots of dopamine, much like a jackpot, slot machine or coin toss from the luna park. The addition of jokers and bonus cards made available seemingly at random make each game different, and replayability almost endless.

Balatro is as good as Slay the Spire was. It's a roguelike deckbuilder, but beginning from a poker deck. The concept is both original and fun. Its modifier cards offer almost unlimited possibilities, making each run unique in its own way. Balatro gives you hours and hours of entertaining and we can just wait for new content in the future. One of the best games of the year so far.

A unique and damn addictive card-based roguelite that borrows basic rules from poker, only to effortlessly turn them on their head using jokers, tarot cards, and celestial bodies. Countless possibilities, synergies, and combinations ensure hours of fun that you won't want to tear yourself away from.

I never would have expected that a roguelike could work so well in a card game before I played Balatro. It’s simple and guides you in so well, but escalates quickly and is happy to crush your run at any moment with the smallest strokes of misfortune. That’s what makes the variety of jokers and bonus cards so fun to explore. Every new option provides an opportunity to buck the house advantage. It leads to an appealing gameplay loop that kept me wanting to try all sorts of new angles and strategies. Balatro is something far out of the ordinary, and heaven forbid it ever makes its way to mobile because my casual time will powerless against it (please?).

Balatro is a brilliant take on the rogue lite genre. Video poker fans will be grinning ear to ear playing this truly terrific card game that is hard to put down.

The wonderful and terrible thing about Balatro is that, unlike with other roguelikes, I never got frustrated getting bounced back to the start. I almost always felt like I’d had the slate wiped clean of the web of synergistic collectables governing my ill-fated moves and this time, I was sure to succeed. Especially as my efforts in the game unlocked new perks or decks I could use when jumping back in. The combination of simple drag-and-drop controls and a continuous flow of numbers-go-up dopamine hits is irresistible. You’ve been warned.

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.

Balatro is the most addictive game that I have ever played. I don't normally 100% games but I did with this game and I still play it daily.

Basically a poker game with interesting joker to play with its enjoyable but for a week after that you'll be bored of it

Very good engine building texas hold ’em poker themed roguelike. Decent visuals and music. Game is just way too short and easy. At first it sure feels like a masterpiece.

Simplemente no es para mi. No me gustan los rogue like, pero como este es de poker y me volví ludópata hace poco lo quise probar. Me gusta el concepto y las mecánicas pero es mega repetitivo y me aburrí al toque.A la gente le gusto muchisimo pero estos juegos a mi me aburren.

The game is okay, but I don’t see a clear purpose or long-term goal. It’s fun to play a few times, but then what? Some kind of multiplayer mode would make it more engaging.