Balatro
Balatro is like poker but more rogue.
Premise
Money
Jokers
| Name | Effect | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Joker | +4 Mult | Common |
| Smoker | -4 Mult, because smoking is bad | Rare |
| Soaker | +50 chips for every scored card not part of the played poker hand | Uncommon |
| Shoot the Moon | +13 Mult for every Queen held in hand | oh shit this thing's a common?? |
| Space Joker | 1 in 4 chance (read: 0 in 4) to upgrade level of played poker hand | Uncommon |
| Blueprint | Enables win the game effect | Rare |
| Brainstorm | Makes out with the adjacent Joker if it is Blueprint | Rare |
| The Hex | X6 Mult if played hand contains a Six of a Kind | Rare |
List of cards
These are the cards the player is permitted to use in a standard bout of Balatro.
- Ace of Hearts
- Two of Hearts
- Three of Hearts
- Four of Hearts
- Five of Hearts
- Six of Hearts
- Seven of Hearts
- Eight of Hearts
- Nine of Hearts
- Ten of Hearts
- Jack of Hearts
- Queen of Hearts
- King of Hearts
- Ace of Diamonds
- Two of Diamonds
- Three of Diamonds
- Four of Diamonds
- Five of Diamonds
- Six of Diamonds
- Seven of Diamonds
- Eight of Diamonds
- Nine of Diamonds
- Ten of Diamonds
- Jack of Diamonds
- Queen of Diamonds
- King of Diamonds
- Ace of Clubs
- Two of Clubs
- Three of Clubs
- Four of Clubs
- Five of Clubs
- Six of Clubs
- Seven of Clubs
- Eight of Clubs
- Nine of Clubs
- Ten of Clubs
- Jack of Clubs
- Queen of Clubs
- King of Clubs
- Ace of Spades
- Two of Spades
- Three of Spades
- Four of Spades
- Five of Spades
- Six of Spades
- Seven of Spades
- Eight of Spades
- Nine of Spades
- Ten of Spades
- Jack of Spades
- Queen of Spades
- King of Spades
Strategy
The main goal is to blow up your chips and act like you don't know the blinds. To do so, you must play cards. Without playing cards, it is very unlikely for your game-plan to succeed.
The best cards to play are the ones in the best condition. Cards with scratches, stains, or scribbles do not score very well. Cards that are broken or unrecognizable do not score at all. Cards that contain obscene language deduct from your score. Avoiding these cards is the cornerstone of a professional Balatro.
Some cards may contain additional effects.
- Mirror cards copy the effects of the card played to the right, or left.
- Razor cards score massive points, at the downside of inflicting a little bit of damage every time they are played.
- Heavy cards give extra points, but they take effort and time to drag around, and they always sink to the bottom of your hand if the table is flooded.
- Pageant cards increase your beauty multiplier.
- Honey cards are sticky.
High levels of play take advantage of flaws in the game's programming. For instance, due to a strange glitch, playing 5 cards of the same suit rewards you with higher points. This oversight was never patched out, so most see it as fair game to use this to your advantage.
Reception
Balatro was released in stores to long lines down the street. People were even camping in tents, just to wait in line for the minute the game store opened.
Critics praised the game for featuring colored graphics and animation. Many noted the pleasing quaintness of the game featuring digital cards that so resembled real life ones. Story Mission was also lauded for its deeply emotional moments and iconic cast of characters.
Backlash
