Just like the escalating digits at the heart of the indie hit Balatro, its sales figures also continue to climb. Yesterday, its publisher, Playstack, announced that the game has sold one million copies since its debut on February 20th. Created by the solo dev LocalThunk, it’s a roguelike deckbuilder that challenges players to manipulate the rules of poker in their favor. Thanks to its psychedelic clowns, hypnotic main theme, and deep mechanics, it has proven difficult to put down.
In a press release, Playstack’s CEO Harvey Elliot wrote about the sales milestone: “The game’s success is a testament to the quality and creativity that the indie sector can deliver, proving that even in uncertain times, innovative games can thrive.” LocalThunk also chimed in, writing, “I’m so grateful to all the players and people that have made this happen. I still can’t grasp the response to this game, and I am overjoyed that so many people have been able to have fun with my silly creation. I’m so fortunate that I can continue working on my passion as a career. Thank you!”
In a recent Reddit AMA, LocalThunk offered insight into the game’s development and what’s coming down the pipeline. He talked about how it took him a little over two years to make, something that he did off and on as a hobby. In response to the game’s unexpected success, he wrote, “It hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m just trying to take it a day at a time and not forget the reason I wanted to make this game in the first place. I love game dev and this is what I want to do as a career, so I am very grateful!”
He also promised that certain changes are on the way, such as adjustments to minimize some randomness at higher stakes (aka, the difficulty settings). And perhaps most concerning for global productivity is the news that a mobile version is also on the way, although there’s no release date yet.
But while Balatro has done quite well, essentially emerging out of nowhere following February’s Steam Next Fest, there have been some speed bumps. Specifically, a few weeks ago, the game was temporarily removed from digital storefronts in certain countries after the PEGI rating board upped its age rating from 3+ to 18+ due to it allegedly including “prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling.” While has been added back to these stores, the new rating has stuck.
The change has been met with outcry and skepticism, and LocalThunk wrote in response in the Reddit AMA, “I still believe that the rating is unwarranted, but there is some grey area for interpretation from PEGI and at this point it is what it is. I think the one thing I am most disappointed by is the fact that other games with actual gambling mechanics aren’t rated the same way because of their appearance/theme.” Ratings change or no, the game is very much a success story and one that’s provoked strong reactions, from the thrill of crafting an impressive deck to conjuring nostalgic memories forged around playing cards.