Balatro

Item: Balatro
Rating: 92
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-05-19

Summary

High replayability with unique, varied runs.
Appealing graphics and polished presentation.
Jokers provide unique abilities and synergies.
Easy to learn, yet strategically deep gameplay.
Excessive RNG negatively impacts player agency.
Artificial difficulty can be frustrating.

Categories

Roguelike Deckbuilding Strategy Single-player Resource Management Meta-Progression Customization Collection Game

Reviews (sample size): 2000
Helpful reviews: 47%
Unhelpful reviews: 53%
Protest reviews: 0%

92%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
8%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 2862
Negative points: 1080
Gameplay points: 1131
Perf. points: 85
Rec. points: 954
Misc points: 250

Point	Description	Importance
High replayability, unique runs Description The game offers high replayability due to its roguelike elements, diverse strategies, and unlockable content. Each run feels unique, encouraging experimentation and adaptation. The game's depth and balance provide a consistently fresh and engaging experience, making it difficult to put down. Importance 96%	The game offers high replayability due to its roguelike elements, diverse strategies, and unlockable content. Each run feels unique, encouraging experimentation and adaptation. The game's depth and balance provide a consistently fresh and engaging experience, making it difficult to put down.	96%
Appealing graphics, polished presentation Description The game has appealing graphics, a unique visual design, and a polished presentation. The art style blends a modern aesthetic with charming details, creating an immersive world. The sound effects are thoughtfully implemented, enhancing the overall experience. Importance 59%	The game has appealing graphics, a unique visual design, and a polished presentation. The art style blends a modern aesthetic with charming details, creating an immersive world. The sound effects are thoughtfully implemented, enhancing the overall experience.	59%
Jokers: unique abilities, synergies Description Joker cards are a core mechanic, offering unique abilities and synergies that drastically alter gameplay. These cards modify scoring, card behaviors, and introduce chaotic modifiers, leading to powerful combinations and high scores. The strategic depth of the game lies in experimenting with these synergies and adapting to the unpredictable nature of the jokers. Importance 48%	Joker cards are a core mechanic, offering unique abilities and synergies that drastically alter gameplay. These cards modify scoring, card behaviors, and introduce chaotic modifiers, leading to powerful combinations and high scores. The strategic depth of the game lies in experimenting with these synergies and adapting to the unpredictable nature of the jokers.	48%
Unique card designs, animations Description The game features unique card designs and animations, with collectible options that add to the visual appeal. The sound design is high quality, particularly the sound of opening card packs. The game's aesthetics are charming, from the appearance of the cards to the sound of them flipping. Importance 46%	The game features unique card designs and animations, with collectible options that add to the visual appeal. The sound design is high quality, particularly the sound of opening card packs. The game's aesthetics are charming, from the appearance of the cards to the sound of them flipping.	46%
Easy to learn, accessible gameplay Description The game is easy to learn and accessible to both new and experienced players. It simplifies poker rules while maintaining strategic depth, making it enjoyable even without prior knowledge of poker or card games. The game provides clear information and tutorials, ensuring a smooth learning curve. Importance 34%	The game is easy to learn and accessible to both new and experienced players. It simplifies poker rules while maintaining strategic depth, making it enjoyable even without prior knowledge of poker or card games. The game provides clear information and tutorials, ensuring a smooth learning curve.	34%
Deep strategic gameplay, nuance Description The game offers deep strategic gameplay with a satisfying sense of progression. The game demands strategic thinking and brain usage. The game has substantial content and offers endless deck-building possibilities. Importance 26%	The game offers deep strategic gameplay with a satisfying sense of progression. The game demands strategic thinking and brain usage. The game has substantial content and offers endless deck-building possibilities.	26%
Encourages experimentation, creative strategies Description The game encourages experimentation and unconventional approaches to problem-solving. The game provides tools to break traditional poker rules and create unconventional strategies. The game is built upon how things interact to reach those higher scores. Importance 9%	The game encourages experimentation and unconventional approaches to problem-solving. The game provides tools to break traditional poker rules and create unconventional strategies. The game is built upon how things interact to reach those higher scores.	9%
Constant updates, new content Description The game receives constant updates with bug fixes and collaboration content. The game offers a lot of variety within a simple core concept, with numerous mechanics that modify gameplay. The developers continue to release updates, adding new cards, enemies, and features that further enhance replayability. Importance 7%	The game receives constant updates with bug fixes and collaboration content. The game offers a lot of variety within a simple core concept, with numerous mechanics that modify gameplay. The developers continue to release updates, adding new cards, enemies, and features that further enhance replayability.	7%
Playable anywhere, easy to pick Description The game is playable anywhere without wifi. The game is easy to pick up and play. The game is suitable for playing at work or during classes. Importance 7%	The game is playable anywhere without wifi. The game is easy to pick up and play. The game is suitable for playing at work or during classes.	7%
Moddable, customizable, accessible options Description The game is very moddable. The game offers accessibility options like faster card movements, high contrast cards for colorblindness, and a 'low movement' mode to reduce dizziness. The upgrade system allows cards to be fused or altered to create unique effects, encouraging experimentation and unexpected synergies. Importance 7%	The game is very moddable. The game offers accessibility options like faster card movements, high contrast cards for colorblindness, and a 'low movement' mode to reduce dizziness. The upgrade system allows cards to be fused or altered to create unique effects, encouraging experimentation and unexpected synergies.	7%
Soothing music, relaxing experience Description The background music is soothing and immersive, enhancing the strategic card battles. The game's audio design features satisfying 'ding' sounds when cards score, creating a sense of impact even with low-value plays. The game is super relaxing. Importance 7%	The background music is soothing and immersive, enhancing the strategic card battles. The game's audio design features satisfying 'ding' sounds when cards score, creating a sense of impact even with low-value plays. The game is super relaxing.	7%
Endless gameplay, simple concept Description The game's appeal lies in its endless gameplay loop without a story or toxic player interactions. The game has infinite replayability. The game's concept is described as seemingly simple and innocent, yet highly engaging. Importance 6%	The game's appeal lies in its endless gameplay loop without a story or toxic player interactions. The game has infinite replayability. The game's concept is described as seemingly simple and innocent, yet highly engaging.	6%