The Game Awards 2024 is around the corner, and it’s drawing a lot of attention, especially for the nomination of the Balatro—a poker roguelike game. Following the GOTY nomination, this poker-inspired game has quickly become one of the most played games across various platforms. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at Balatro and explore its meteoric rise in popularity.
What is Balatro?
Balatro is a roguelike deck-building game inspired by poker where players use their knowledge of traditional card games to clear a series of “Antes.” Balatro uses poker mechanics and a unique approach to deck-building systems, all of which make it infinitely replayable. It is similar to how popular online video poker games take the rules of traditional poker to create different modes and gameplay that can be enjoyed without the pressure of high-stakes scenarios. Poker rules apply to the strength of hands in Balatro, which also determines how many chips you can win from a hand. These chips are in-game currency that players can spend in the Balatro shop that sells interesting gameplay items such as consumables and vouchers.
Balatro Soars To Leading Of Steam Charts After Game Of The Year Nomination
Balatro’s GOTY nomination came as a surprise to the gaming community for good reason. Many were left wondering how a poker roguelike scored the coveted GOTY nomination spot, beating the likes of Stellar Blade. 2024 blessed us with a lot of good games, and while there were some disappointing AAA releases, it was overall a decent year for gamers. The indie scene, which is often overlooked in these nominations, was brought to mainstream attention because of Balatro’s exceptional gameplay.
Indie games turning out good and even better than some AAA titles is not a new phenomenon, we have seen this with Stardew Valley, a relaxing farm life simulation RPG that captivated the entire world in 2016. After the GOTY nomination, Balatro’s player count on Steam soared to new heights, and its sales massively jumped across all platforms.
Balatro was initially released for Windows PCs, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X on February 20, 2024, and was later ported to macOS systems on March 1. Android and iOS ports came out on September 26, 2024. The critically acclaimed game has sold over 2 million copies by the end of August 2024.
The mobile version of Balatro alone has generated $4.4 million in revenue last week following the recent GOTY announcement. Apart from the coveted GOTY nomination at Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards 2024, the game also scored spots in other categories, including Best Direction, Best Mobile Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game.
On Steam, the game has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players, with many calling it hard to master, yet very addictive. The combination of poker and roguelike hasn’t been done before, but it appears this concept is offering a refreshing experience that many gamers have been seeking. Many players who doubted it initially have now invested hours playing this poker-inspired game. The Balatro takeover is just starting.
Balatro’s Developer Responds To GOTY Nomination
Balatro developer made a reddit post following the TGA nominations to thank the players and raise awareness about the indie scene. He expressed that receiving 5 TGA nominations for Balatro has been “surreal” and took time to recommend other indie games to his community. His recommendations are Arco, Ballionaire, Nova Drift, Animal Well, Star★Vaders, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Rack and Slay—all of which came out in 2024 or had demos.
Created by a solo developer who goes by the name “LocalThunk”, Balatro’s origin story is reminiscent of the indie hit Stardew Valley which was developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone over the course of 4.5 years.
Will Balatro Win GOTY?
While many players believe that Balatro deserves the GOTY crown, it faces a tough competition. GOTY win for Balatro seems unlikely but anything is possible just like how nomination seemed out of place until players actually played the game. Black Myth: Wukong
and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree are more likely to win the coveted award if we look at TGA traditions.
Interestingly enough Elden Ring already won GOTY in 2022, the latest nomination it scored is for the DLC content which is so massive that it plays like its own game. Here’s the complete list of the 2024 TGA nominees in categories where Balatro is competing:
TGA 2024 Game of the Year
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Ideal Game Direction
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Ideal Independent Game
- Animal Well
- Balatro
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Neva
- UFO 50
Ideal Debut Indie Game
- Balatro
- Animal Well
- Manor Lords
- Pacific Drive
- The Plucky Squire
Ideal Mobile Game
- AFK Journey
- Balatro
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
- Wuthering Waves
- Zenless Zone Zero
