Balatro developer LocalThunk is notoriously private. It's not some kind of put-on: Wout van Halderen, communications director of Balatro publisher Playstack, told us at GDC that LocalThunk isn't "trying to pull a Banksy," he's just "a person who doesn't really like the spotlight," and choosing to stay anonymous helps him manage the pressures of his newfound success.
But like a king wandering incognito amongst his subjects, that anonymity also enables LocalThunk to get away with things that other, more recognizable developers never could. As an example, LocalThunk was actually at GDC, and took the opportunity to school the crowd with some slick Balatro moves, before fading away into the crowd like a half-heard whisper.
