Balatro Review — A Fun Deck-Building Delight

Whenever I play video games with my buds, my main goal is to kick back, have a good time, and not take things too seriously, even if things get intense. Winning or losing isn’t a big deal for me as long as I’m having a blast. That’s probably why Balatro caught my attention.

And since I usually spend my weekends relaxing and chilling in front of my TV, I figured, why not give Balatro a shot? It was exciting, and I’m happy to give my first impression in this Balatro review.

Gameplay

Let me skip the gameplay because Balatro’s core concept is just Poker but on steroids. Things got intense and complex for a card game, but maybe that’s just me. I have never played poker in my whole life. For my first experience, I loved the rogue-like elements implemented into the gameplay.

Balatro is a strictly single-player title that doesn’t shy away from getting creative and bolder.

Balatro is a strictly single-player title that doesn’t shy away from getting creative and bolder. As I started investing myself in the game, Balatro became more complex. Who would have thought a card game could mean serious business? Nevertheless, Balatro kept me in this never-ending fun gameplay loop, and I never felt the absence of multiplayer mode. It’s just fun on its own, and this is precisely what I was looking for.

Deck Building And Rogue-Like Elements

The core concept of Poker remains the same throughout the game. At the beginning of the game, you are dealt a deck of cards, a standard feature of any card game. However, things start to get interesting from here on. The gameplay consists of a series of levels, known as Antes, and each Ante is divided into three encounters: small, big, and boss blinds. Yes, you heard it right – there are boss battles in Balatro.

Like other Rogue-like games, certain multipliers add up, and you start earning big numbers. Winning round rewards you with cash, but things get exciting once you’ve cleared the blind level. Then you visit the shop and use all your hard-earned money to buy Joker cards, Tarot cards, and Planets that can change your deck and improve your overall gameplay.

Strategies, Power-ups, And Luck

I already knew that Balatro had some Rogue-like elements, but when I played it, I was super impressed. Developers did a fantastic job integrating Rogue-like elements into a card game seamlessly. One of my favorite additions in this game is Joker cards. You can purchase special abilities at the shop before proceeding to the next blind.

Developers did a fantastic job integrating Rogue-like elements into a card game seamlessly.

Joker Cards with score multipliers are broken, and once activated, they will provide a triple boost to your score with very specific criteria. For example, if you throw a royal flush, your score will be tripled. You’ll be swimming in chips before you know it. I highly recommend making some purchases from the shop. Because at some point, you’ll have to face the final blind, The Boss Battle.

Variety Of Cards Makes Balatro Highly Addictive

There are well over 150 Joker cards to purchase throughout Balatro, and I appreciate that we acquired a few early on in the game. And while Joker cards are extremely fun, let me divert your attention to Tarot cards. They are quite the heavy hitters and can manipulate your entire deck.

The best part of Balatro is that you’re not competing against another player; it’s just you and your deck against the game mechanics.

I started using Tarot cards more, and surprisingly, I became fond of them. Since you can manipulate your deck, this is extremely helpful for building straight or royal flushes. The World, The Sun, The Moon, and The Star are extremely potent, and I insist you use this strategy once you get the hang of the game.

Planets in the game have a unique role, so don’t mess with your deck or score. They give you a steady boost to your stats, and you already know what you’ll get from them. This means less guessing and less randomness. I love the combo of Tarot and Planet cards. Planet cards are so good at tapping into the manipulative power of Tarot cards.

I was a little worried that the game would get repetitive, but to my surprise, there are dozens of cards and hundreds of combinations to use, so it never gets stale.

The best part of Balatro is that you’re not competing against another player; it’s just you and your deck against the game mechanics.

Jazzy Soundtrack Creates A Moody Atmosphere

Whoever came up with the idea of incorporating jazz undertones in the soundtrack deserves a raise. It is a defining characteristic of the game and helps set the dreamy mood as if you are in real casino dealing cards.

As the stakes increase, imagining oneself in a dark den filled with skilled poker players is natural, similar to the iconic poker scene in James Bond’s movie Casino Royale.

Visuals 

Balatro takes quite a minimalist approach to visuals because this is not a graphical-intensive game. Just a chill game about playing cards and defeating card bosses. The visuals here are amazing; much credit goes to its dreamy aesthetic and artwork. And the menu music theme is just the cherry on top. I loved it.

Balatro takes quite a minimalist approach to visuals because this is not a graphical-intensive game

If you asked me about my favorite thing about Balatro, it would be the card designs. I love how different they look compared to other decks, especially the power-up cards. You can take one look and know what’s coming next. It’s like the cards have their personality and character, which makes them so damn memorable.

Some highlighting animations are minimal, but huge moments like landing a royal flush or straight house display dazzling visuals signaling your accomplishment. Little things like this make me love Balatro even more.

Verdict

The constantly challenging nature of Balatro makes it an unforgettable experience and a delight for Poker enthusiasts. For some players who are not that familiar with Poker, it first feels like a real challenge. I am talking about this from my own experience; because of my zero knowledge of Poker, I had to lock in and focus on myself for the first few hours, but after that, it was an exciting ride.

I was a little worried that the game would get repetitive, but to my surprise, there are dozens of cards and hundreds of combinations to use, so it never gets stale.

Balatro is a compelling example of how creativity and dedication are crucial to creating innovative ideas. Taking simple and basic mechanics of Poker and integrating them into an entire Rogue-like experience was an outstanding idea; nowadays, it is rare for a game to deliver just a fun experience.

I am pretty stoked about what developers have in store for us in the future, and If you are looking forward to an amazing poker experience, Balatro is not just a king but an ace.

I concluded my Balatro Review here, but before you go, why not check out our other reviews?

• WWE 2K24 Review
• Unicorn Overlord Review
• Last Epoch Review
• Hellcome Early Access Review
• Squad 44 Review