The poker-inspired roguelike game, Balatro, has captivated players during their lunch breaks, commutes, and even while in the restroom. The game’s mechanism of escalating high scores propelled it to the top of sales charts, garnering millions of purchases, primarily from its sole developer, LocalThunk. Intriguingly, after more than a year since its launch, he has just recently completed the game himself.
“I’ve conquered every deck at every difficulty! I still aim to achieve a full 100% completion; I’m really enjoying it and my understanding of my game has deepened,” LocalThunk expressed in a social media update. To give a sense of the challenge, Balatro features 15 unique decks along with eight difficulty levels that introduce increasingly frustrating modifiers. He essentially triumphed over 120 intricate runs, a milestone I personally haven’t reached after spending about a dozen hours with just one deck.
If you’re curious about his journey and seeking guidance, he also shared his setup with everyone. “Critique my strategy,” he invited.
“I also believe that the time I dedicated to playing has eliminated any negative sentiments I held regarding the game following the launch stress,” LocalThunk added. He recently opened up about the challenges of solo game development over many years, where the sudden influx of public feedback felt overwhelming. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to know that most of those “negative emotions” have dissipated.
In response to the spread of AI-generated art in the game’s subreddit, the Balatro creator stated: “I don’t incorporate it into my game, as I believe it harms artists across the board.”