As seen at sushi restaurants, on an episode of Black Mirror, and just casually weaved in throughout daily life, the poker-like Balatro is popping up nearly everywhere these days. Whenever I come across someone playing the trance-inducing roguelike out in the wild, I am never really surprised. Once you try out Balatro, it is hard to free yourself from its grasp. I had already lost dozens of hours to it on PC when it originally released last year, and then later when it came to mobile. Now, this month, console owners beware, it’s come to PlayStation Plus.
Much has been written about Balatro already and you’re likely already familiar. But for the uninitiated, here’s a brief recap: It’s a card game where the Jokers control your fate. While in poker, you ordinarily discard Jokers, in Balatro, the Jokers are valuable and have their own special powers. And unlike with true gambling, cheating is encouraged. You stack your own deck heavy with royal flushes, aces, and other goodies until victory is inevitable. As you build, the goal is a higher and higher score. When the number becomes unattainable, it’s game over. Then, the siren call to start a new game beckons.
