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 that Balatro has – 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 our TechRadar Choice Awards 2024.
I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest roguelite guy. That said, this year I gained newfound obsessions in both Hades 2 and Balatro. And while I’m waiting on the former to be feature-complete (it’s in Steam early access right now) to make a full assessment, Balatro presents a full, complete package that’s fiendishly difficult to put down.
