I'm writing this review after my first win and based on the collection, I have maybe a third of everything unlocked. I can see this being a game that I spend countless hours on. It is already my favorite deckbuilder. Balatro's mechanics just click for me. The poker theme may seem simplistic compared to games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train, but when a game is crafted well, you can just tell. And on top of that, the style is so crisp. The effects on the cards are great. The art is fun. As limited as a deck of cards can be creatively, Balatro has run with the theme. All around, this is a solid game that I think about when I'm not playing it. Discovering how to "break" the game is so fun. I've achieved a hand that earns me over 1 million chips (only $13), but based on Endless mode, this appears to be barely sufficient. I look forward to seeing how far I can take Balatro.

I'm writing this review after my first win and based on the collection, I have maybe a third of everything unlocked. I can see this being a game that I spend countless hours on. It is already my favorite deckbuilder. Balatro's mechanics just click for me. The poker theme may seem simplistic compared to games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train, but when a game is crafted well, you can just tell. And on top of that, the style is so crisp. The effects on the cards are great. The art is fun. As limited as a deck of cards can be creatively, Balatro has run with the theme. All around, this is a solid game that I think about when I'm not playing it. Discovering how to "break" the game is so fun. I've achieved a hand that earns me over 1 million chips (only $13), but based on Endless mode, this appears to be barely sufficient. I look forward to seeing how far I can take Balatro.