Dear reader, I have some sorry news to report—Balatro is taking over all of gaming. No RPG, no strategy game, no charming indie hit is safe. If you have a videogame, you are getting absorbed into Balatro, until all is rendered poker, praise be to the Almighty Blind. This is the part where you imagine me sacrificing a goat.
In all seriousness, Balatro is on a well-deserved victory lap. Aside from being the PC Gamer staff's predominant mind goblin this year, it's also a superbly-designed roguelike that feels as eponymous to the genre as Slay the Spire was back in 2017. Recently, it's sold over 3,500,000 units across platforms (a number no doubt increased by its mobile release), though it's also taken best mobile and indie game at The Game Awards 2024.
