Balatro Reviews
The constantly challenging nature of Balatro makes it an unforgettable experience and a delight for Poker enthusiasts.
Balatro is one of those deceptively-approachable ideas that will absolutely consume you the more you start to puzzle out its secrets and intricacies. It somehow makes playing the same game over and over feel completely fresh in possibility each time, and doles out just enough new ideas and just the right amount of intoxicating feedback to keep you thinking "one more game" well into the AM.
Balatro is in equal measures a sensational and maddening roguelike deck-building experience that will keep you going for that all-so-close high score for hours upon hours.
Balatro is one of the best examples of the growing number of deck building games in recent years. With the freedom it offers, the joy of new strategies and much more, it's a royal flush.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
A smart and engaging re-implementation of the classic poker game, including hundreds of different cards and special effects.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
Balatro is an astonishingly addictive take on Poker that's utterly impossible to put down. Occasional difficulty spikes aside; it's a piece of simplistic genius that we'll keep on our Steam Deck forever.
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.
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.
A deck-building poker roguelike of endlessly satisfying proportions, Balatro is the sort of fun that threatens to derail whole weekend plans.
Balatro's ingenious combination of poker and roguelite gameplay creates an intoxicating combination that's hard to pull away from.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos. Switch version reviewed. Everything comes together beautifully and seamlessly in Balatro, and it is now one of my favorite deck-building games ever.
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?).
An expertly constructed and intricate roguelite deck builder that draws on the language and concept of poker, before twisting it with an infinity of modifiers, unlocks, and delicately balanced risk and reward.
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 is addictive. I’m not much of a poker or deck builder player, but I find the combination of the two irresistible. If you have an interest in either, then this game is sure to entice you. Especially since the game is out on every platform and is available now.
A wonderful roguelike card game which twists poker rules in unexpected ways. It would seem that after Slay the Spire this genre won't be able to surprise in any way, but cool ideas from independent developers continue to appear.
Review in Russian | Read full review
It will be very difficult to find a game I have enjoyed exploring more than Balatro this year. Learning its mechanics were like learning a new language and it was all-encompassing. Balatro should be the design template going forward for many designers, it contain 0% fat and is trimmed to perfection. Not a pixel or mechanic is wasted in this immensely addictive roguelike. Its a shame that so many people will just gloss over its pure presentation and design. Bravo all involved.
Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don't like roguelikes... and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp. It's an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there's really nothing else quite like it. We suspect we'll be hearing a lot about Balatro when conversations steer towards Game of the Year, because this is a clear and obvious frontrunner. Utterly sublime.
Poker goes into the blender and emerges in fine form.