Poker-themed roguelike Balatro deals out 1m sales in first month
Spade to win.
The poker-themed roguelike Balatro has sold 1m copies in its first month.
Publisher Playstack announced this milestone earlier today, with CEO Harvey Elliott stating the team is "incredibly grateful for the support and enthusiasm from players worldwide".
"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," Elliott said. "We extend our deepest thanks to every player who has joined us on this adventure."
Meanwhile, developer LocalThunk said they "still can't grasp the response" to Balatro. "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!" I imagine they must be feeling quite flush-ed.
Balatro has been a great success story for LocalThunk, with a myriad of "overwhelmingly positive" reviews on Steam. In just 10 days, it managed to shift 500k copies.
It hasn't all been plain sailing, however. Earlier this month, Balatro was unexpectedly pulled from sale in some countries, with Playstack blaming the issue on a surprise ratings change.
Following this, LocalThunk took to Reddit to say "it is what it is". Here, the developer also confirmed a mobile version is in the works, although there is no release date as yet.
"Over the last few weeks it has taken over the gaming world completely, and I can see why," our Donlan wrote in Eurogamer's Balatro review.
"A poker roguelike is such a brilliant idea you almost don't need to make it to see how clever it is. There are a few of these, and Balatro is comfortably the best I've played. It really is ingenious - and it's also ingeniously simple."
Donlan awarded Balatro four out of five stars.