The Making of Balatro

The popular indie card game Balatro is the result of a little bit of luck, and a lot of hard work.
Developer LocalThunk has explained how the game was never meant for wide release on Steam; it was intended as simply a game for their friends to play, because LocalThunk just likes developing games.
When a change of circumstances meant that LocalThunk needed to change job, they published their passion project on Steam, ostensibly as a portfolio piece to put on their resume.
In spite of a complete lack of marketing, the game ended up gaining far more attention than LocalThunk could ever have imagined.
Source:
www.gamesradar.com/exploring-...
Gameplay footage from this video courtesy of Chariot Rider via Game Footage Archive: • Balatro (First Black D...

[@wasabi5134]

Not gonna lie you guys, this is the kind of content I miss from this channel. How amazing games were made!

[@k1zm3t]

i got my second balatro win today, i beat the violet vessel

[@dm.3145]

that's great! 👍

[@x2bounty]

This type of video is why I started watching this channel. I'm really happy to see more of these dev stories coming from you guys. Thanks. :)

[@gamedevmanti4578]

Love how the cards steadily get more ridiculous as the video goes on 😂 also is that a DreamWorks Uno set from McDonald's I see?

[@blastdragon1991]

Just like in a game of Balantro. you begin with just a normal deck and make normal pokerhands. But at the end of a succesfull game you have a weird deck with stone, metal and glass cards. It is double numbers and one suit is almost completely gone. And not really part of the deck but you also have the strange jokers, tarot cards, planets, vouchers and spectral cards.

[@REriic]

nice video! it's amazing how Balatro was just a simple thing for LocalThunk, he never thought that your game would be so popular.

[@mistermanthe4th]

Wow. So the development and publishing of Balatro perfectly encompasses it's own core aspect of chance. An unintentional (and actually fairly safe) gamble led to the meteoric success of a game that was never meant to be more than a bullet point on a resume.

[@JoeTheis]

LocalThunk is a huge inspiration to me personally as a game developer. I doubt I will see nearly as much success (what I'm working on doesn't have as broad appeal as Balatro), but still hoping the effort pays off in some small way.

[@mla734]

3:30 "Jack of clubs, and a... BLUE GHOST? WHAT AM I GUNNA DO WITH THIS? I'm so gunna lose..."

[@TheRealRidley12]

It's a really applicable moral, in Poker or in life. And while I'll probably never play _Balatro_ myself, I wish LocalThunk all the best with it.

[@PikaLuigi]

Love the Catan cards thrown in :D

[@logixindie]

Luck be a Landlord is a pure roguelike. Balatro is the best roguelike to me.

[@TheOldYoungOne]

Such a good game for steam deck!

[@oyoyoyo7624]

❤

[@Viviantoga]

♣

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@SonofMrPeanut]

Your deck doesn't include any from Personal Preference? 0 stars.