Balatro’s bonkers take on Poker is our Game of the Year because it revitalized the roguelite deckbuilding subgenre

A one of a kind winner at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024

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Deckbuilders with roguelite elements are a dime a dozen across consoles and PC these days; so much so that they can all begin to bleed together in the mind. This isn’t a problem thatBalatrohas – its borderline hypnotic aesthetic, music, and power-scaling gameplay all combine to create an intensely memorable experience. An experience that makes it a worthy winner of game of the year in ourTechRadar Choice Awards 2024.

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest roguelite guy. That said, this year I gained newfound obsessions in bothHades 2andBalatro.And while I’m waiting on the former to be feature-complete (it’s inSteamearly access right now) to make a full assessment,Balatropresents a full, complete package that’s fiendishly difficult to put down.

If you’re unfamiliar withBalatroand what makes it such a fascinating game, it bases itself on the rules of Poker. You start out with a standard deck of playing cards with which you’ll play hands to increase your score and your multiplier; the better the hand, the higher your score. But it doesn’t stay that way for long. Play well enough, and your score will continue to skyrocket with each encounter beaten – something accompanied by an immensely-satisfying ‘plinky’ sound effect as feedback. It also helps that most runs are wicked fast, largely lasting no longer than 15-20 minutes. As such,Balatrois ideal for a bit of lunch break gaming, and can also consistently sucker you in for ‘just one more run’.

Between each encounter (known as Small, Big, and Boss Blinds) you’ll get to visit a shop to spend your hard-earned coinage. It’s here where you can purchase run-altering Joker cards – there are dozens of these things, all offering different passive effects. One might boost the multiplier when playing cards of a certain suit, for example, while another can change the properties of your cards to offer various benefits and drawbacks.

You can also purchase planetary cards that level up different types of hands, as well as Tarot cards that can significantly change how you play with your deck. Your deck is basically a hot pot, then, with all these different types of cards forming the ingredients with which you can spice it up. And boy if I don’t end up cooking a different hot pot on each and every run; the sheer amount of run-altering variables is truly staggering even for the typically broad range the subgenre offers on the whole.

Balatrohas what feels like billions of variables. You can hold onto multiple Jokers, and much of the fun inBalatrocomes from learning how Joker cards can synergize with one another. This creates near-infinite replay value in a game that costs less than 15 bucks and is playable on basically everything now.Balatrois available on PC (via Steam) as well as onNintendo Switch,PS5,PS4,Xbox Series X|S,Xbox One, and Android and iOS devices.

It’s clear that game developers are just as in love withBalatroas we are. At the time of writing, two free’Friends of Jimbo' DLC packshave been added, featuring deck designs with characters fromCyberpunk 2077, Stardew Valley, Vampire Survivors,and more. Seriously, if you haven’t playedBalatroyet, what’s stopping you?

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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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