The game I didn’t think I would like is my GOTY
I had heard a lot about Balatro. I read some of the major gaming sites and there were so many think pieces and reviews, it was inescapable. But the premise left me cold - poker meets solitaire? Yawn. Then I actually read one of the articles and learned it wasn’t really poker or solitaire, but a roguelike deck building game. Closer to Slay the Spire than Texas Hold ‘em.
That sounded great to me - I put an embarrassing amount of hours into Slay the Spire. So I downloaded it through Arcade and 3 hours later I looked up and wondered where the time had gone. Then I went down rabbit holes on Reddit to learn how to get good. Now I can pretty much beat any game to Ante 8 (with a personal best of Ante 12 and a single hand score of 117M). The game has started to lose a bit of its luster so I’m putting it aside for a while, I swear. I’ll eventually come back to unlock all the jokers. Hoping for a major update with more jokers and decks in the future, but I know this is a one man show. Phenomenal work, truly.
That sounded great to me - I put an embarrassing amount of hours into Slay the Spire. So I downloaded it through Arcade and 3 hours later I looked up and wondered where the time had gone. Then I went down rabbit holes on Reddit to learn how to get good. Now I can pretty much beat any game to Ante 8 (with a personal best of Ante 12 and a single hand score of 117M). The game has started to lose a bit of its luster so I’m putting it aside for a while, I swear. I’ll eventually come back to unlock all the jokers. Hoping for a major update with more jokers and decks in the future, but I know this is a one man show. Phenomenal work, truly.
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Meh: Luck based trash
The game positions itself as some kind of skill-based faire. But truthfully, it’s 110% luck based in the worst way.
There are blinds where you can easily beat 75,000+, but then on the next round you can’t even beat 600 because the cards or joker pulls are just that bad.
The game also throws stupid, insurmountable blinds at you, like having all cards be face down, or invalidating your most used hand.
You also don’t retain any of the power ups, so there’s no way to continuously get better and move onto another level.
You’re just stuck in this stupid cycle of ‘oh wow I did really well’ and ‘how could I not even meet the 450 blind?’
Also, the dev put the ‘discard’ button where most people two automatically - you can change that in settings, but it feels intentionally malicious that they’d put the discard button in the most inconvenient spot for players.
Ultimately, I have no idea why this is getting the accolades that it is getting. It’s an OK game for a short while, but then you realize how needlessly antagonistic the game is and if they dialled it down a notch, the game would be far more enjoyable rather than an exercise in frustration.
I’m glad I got this through Apple Arcade. I wouldn’t pay $10 for this slop until its player experience is improved.
There are blinds where you can easily beat 75,000+, but then on the next round you can’t even beat 600 because the cards or joker pulls are just that bad.
The game also throws stupid, insurmountable blinds at you, like having all cards be face down, or invalidating your most used hand.
You also don’t retain any of the power ups, so there’s no way to continuously get better and move onto another level.
You’re just stuck in this stupid cycle of ‘oh wow I did really well’ and ‘how could I not even meet the 450 blind?’
Also, the dev put the ‘discard’ button where most people two automatically - you can change that in settings, but it feels intentionally malicious that they’d put the discard button in the most inconvenient spot for players.
Ultimately, I have no idea why this is getting the accolades that it is getting. It’s an OK game for a short while, but then you realize how needlessly antagonistic the game is and if they dialled it down a notch, the game would be far more enjoyable rather than an exercise in frustration.
I’m glad I got this through Apple Arcade. I wouldn’t pay $10 for this slop until its player experience is improved.
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oh my golly golly gosh
when i found out this was available on mobile AND that i didn't have to pay for it, i knew i immediately had to get it after watching so many people get obsessed with it... i can definitely see the appeal !!! i'm not particularly good at poker (i barely know how to play) but the way this game plays really draws you in. would absolutely (and will be) recommend this to anyone, not just to people who are good at/enjoy card games
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The best rogue-likes in years
I’m a big fan in rogue-likes I have played them for years and have several such as inscription, cult of the lamb, (which you can say it’s not a rogue-like but still counts for me) enter the gungeon, and others but this one is the best I’ve played in years the game is addictive, fun and holy the amount of content you get is crazy you will never run out of things to do only problem is that the game is a little buggy with data saving but that boils down to it being a new mobile game if you want to fix this problem you can buy it on a different platform and if you want the same mobility you can get it on switch
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Great, but…
Still won’t update accomplishments earned on Mac
Outstanding
My friends know I enjoy gaming and they’ll ask me about what I’m playing at the minute. Silent Hill 2 got me through spooky season, prior to that it was Space Marine 2 and before that, Shadow Of The Erdtree. Now when I get asked I’m like, “Mate, I’m in love with a card game on my phone!” If you have Apple Arcade, this is an absolute no-brainer. I wholeheartedly agree with how it made it into the conversation for GOTY. Games don’t have to have a AAA budget as long as they’re inventive, and engaging, and FUN. This ticks all those boxes emphatically. Get it downloaded.
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Game of the year
I cannot tell you more how much I love this game.
Amazing game
Probably the best rougelite of the last few years. Takes gambling and one more run and puts them together. Amazing game that will be played for years to come
A Guilt-Free Addiction
Balatro is a game that seems so elegant in its design, so obviously enjoyable is how it plays that you wonder how this idea for a game didn’t happen sooner. Oh sure, of course someone would have eventually made a roguelike deck builder with poker hands and collectable jokers, yet Balatro achieves what other attempts might have failed. It hits that sweet spot of fun and challenge with a fine-tuned game experience that rewards progress while setting just enough goals beyond your reach until you improve. Balatro’s acclaim from players and critics alike prove that a game doesn’t need a massive budget or state of art graphics to achieve greatness—it just needs to be fun and worth replaying. And Balatro is very much both.
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Great game, but…
I love the game, it’s super addicting lol. However I seem to be encountering a bug where any new deck or card I unlock will never show up. Not sure how to fix it, and it’s discouraging to play the game and not have any of my progress save
