Balatro

 PC
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Polygon
    Feb 28, 2024
    Balatro will make you a card counter in a game where every card counts. Before you know it, you’ll be all in. Fans of deck-builders can’t afford to sleep on this one. Ante up. [Polygon Recommends]
  2. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Feb 19, 2024
    Ultimately, Balatro is a game that delights in the art of making numbers go up - big, fast and on fire - by whatever means necessary. It reels you back in not to exploit psychological weakness, but to celebrate the inherent joy of learning, mastering and beating a system gamed around impossible odds, all while being just a teeny bit naughty in the process. It not only invites you to sit at the table, but openly hands you all manner of scalpels to tear into it, make it bleed, and gut it for everything it's worth - and it will smile and applaud you for it every step of the way. Balatro is very generous, in that sense, even when victories are seemingly few and far between. Indeed, the only way I ever felt cheated by Balatro is when I had to stop playing and not spend more time playing Balatro. [RPS Bestest Bests]
  3. The Verge
    Feb 27, 2024
    A successful roguelike asks the player to balance strategy, risk and reward, and a bit of luck. It feels early to induct Balatro into the genre’s hall of fame, alongside the likes of Spire, Hades, Into the Breach, and Spelunky. (I would also add the very underrated Slice & Dice to that pantheon.) The gauge tends to be how long people play it and what depth that sustained repetition reveals over time. But if I had to make an early bet, I think Balatro goes the distance. Over the weekend, I finished my first run. Then I did it again — four more times.