Summary
- Balatro, the popular card game, is getting a physical release on major consoles with exclusive Joker bonus cards for fans to enjoy.
- With "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam, Balatro has solidified itself as a top game of 2024.
- Fans are eagerly waiting for pre-orders of the physical copy, curious about the exclusive Joker cards that will come with the game.
Popular roguelike card game Balatro, which made a big impact when it debuted on Steam in February, is getting a physical release on major consoles. While Balatro is based on making poker hands, it's really a deck-building game at heart, and its various collectible Joker cards provide a wide variety of bonuses that have earned it a lot of praise from fans.
Though only released a few months ago, Balatro has racked up nearly 35,000 reviews on Steam, and the results have been listed on the platform as "Overwhelmingly Positive," scoring a 97 percent approval rating in both recent and all-time user reviews. Balatro's most recent update, from May, has continued to play to its strengths, adding even more ways the Jokers can affect the game and increasing the number of Joker cards to 150.
7 Games You Should Play If You Like Balatro
Balatro is a truly unique deckbuilder. That said, those looking for a similar experience have several options available to them.
News of the physical release came on June 8 on Twitter in a post by the game's single-person creation team, LocalThunk. While it doesn't make any mention of a projected release date, the post states that physical copies of Balatro will be available on Nintendo Switch as well as unspecified PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and an image attached to the post shows off the cover art for the Switch version. Additionally, all physical copies of the game will come with an in-game bonus pack of Joker cards. LocalThunk has clarified that all physical copies of the game will come with the same specially selected Joker cards as opposed to a pack of randomly selected ones.
Balatro Fans Are Excited for the Physical Release
Balatro is already one of the highest-rated games of 2024, and the response to the news of a physical console release has been quite good, with fans seemingly most excited to see what kinds of Jokers will be available in the booster pack. Some players have directly asked LocalThunk whether the Joker cards in that pack will be exclusive to the physical copy, as players on PC and Mac seem concerned that they'll be locked out of some game content, but the developer doesn't seem to have confirmed whether that will be the case.
While pre-orders of the physical copies are expected soon, it seems Balatro fans will have to wait at least a little while to get the game in their hands. In the meantime, players who hit the game early and haven't played since the 1.0.0n update may want to dive back into the game, as Balatro's developer has put up ridiculously high scores since releasing the current build.
Balatro
- Released
- February 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder all about creating powerful synergies and winning big.
The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.
Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
