Feb 28, 2025 12:00:00

The developer of Balatro has published a blog about his vision for developing Balatro.

Balatro is a 'roguelike poker' game that has become so popular that

it has sold 1 million copies in about a month since its release . LocalThunk, who developed Balatro alone, has posted on his blog about 'what vision did he have when he developed Balatro?'

Solitaire — LocalThunk
https://localthunk.com/blog/solitaire

You can get a better idea of what kind of game Balatro is by reading the review below.

A review of the game 'Balatro' that turns into a rich deck building game with a poker + roguelike feel that makes you want to play it over and over again - GIGAZINE

According to LocalThunk, at the heart of Balatro's vision is the classic one-player game ' Solitaire ' using playing cards. LocalThunk positioned solitaire as the 'pinnacle of gaming culture' based on the fact that 'most people have played it' and 'it is socially accepted.'

As a game designer, LocalThunk was intrigued by the fact that solitaire is not just a game, but is seen as a positive form of entertainment, and wanted Balatro to be played in the same way. During the development of Balatro, the image of the player was, 'Play Balatro on a Sunday afternoon, play a few times in an hour, then quit the game and spend the rest of the day.'

Based on this image, LocalThunk created Balatro as a game that does not feature players, characters, or enemies.


Although Balatro was developed with solitaire in mind, it is a much more complex game than solitaire. LocalThunk added achievements, stake levels, unlocks, challenges, and other elements that are not found in solitaire as guides to help players explore the game's design.

It's been more than a year since Balatro was released, but LocalThunk still plays Balatro a few times almost every day before going to bed. 'We were able to achieve the goal of recreating the feeling of playing solitaire,' he said.

'Based on public reviews, it seems like the way the average player plays Balatro isn't solitaire-like,' LocalThunk wrote, but he's 'thrilled that people are still enjoying it.'