Balatro review 2026: poker roguelike perfection

Balatro took poker hands and built the most addictive roguelike deckbuilder of the decade. Every run plays different because jokers twist basic poker rules into wild combos you never expected. This review breaks down why Balatro still rules two years later.

Gameplay and core mechanics

Balatro keeps it simple: play poker hands to beat score targets. Three blinds per ante. Small blind big blind boss blind. Beat boss advance. Fail restart.

Jokers make it genius. These 150 cards break poker rules:

Blueprint copies adjacent joker
Brainstorm retriggers played hands
Satellite mult per planet card
Glass doubles score but risks breaking

Spend money between blinds on packs. Playing cards tarot planets spectral. Vouchers unlock permanent upgrades. Every choice snowballs.

Poker hands create infinite scaling. Pairs flush straight flush five of a kind. Jokers explode chips mult exponentially.

Runs last 30 60 minutes. Boss blinds force adaptation.

Roguelike elements

Balatro nails roguelike balance:

Run variety 8 starter decks 150 jokers 22 tarot 12 planets 18 spectrals endless vouchers. No repeats.

Meta progression Stakes unlock progressively. White stake first gold stake endless. Vouchers carry across runs.

RNG vs skill Jokers random shop choices skill. Skip packs better odds. Planet rerolls shop. Skill matters after 20 hours.

Death penalty Full deck reset meta progress intact. Restart hooks instantly.

Scaling Endless stake no ante cap. Top players hit ante 15.

Failure teaches synergies. Restarting ante 4 feels natural.

Visuals and audio

Vaporwave Windows 95 aesthetic. Bold colors clean pixel art zero clutter. Jokers distinct through art alone.

Animations crisp. Score multipliers pulse satisfyingly.

Synthwave soundtrack perfect escalation. SFX punchy. No voice needed.

Runs flawless everywhere. Mobile ideal short sessions.

Content and replayability

Infinite at launch. 2026 patches added 20 jokers enhanced endless challenge decks.

Unlocks 150 jokers 8 decks 8 stakes voucher combos endless variations.

Run length 30 60 minutes. Endless 2+ hours.

Long term Daily joker discoveries. LocalThunk active Discord patches.

$14.99 gives 100 hours minimum.

Pros and cons

Pros
Perfect roguelike loop
Infinite synergies
Tight 30 minute runs
Mobile flawless
Active support
Endless scales forever

Cons
Boss patterns repeat post 50 hours
Joker RNG swings
Late game needs unlocks

Final verdict

Rating 9.5/10

Balatro sits with Slay the Spire Inscryption. Perfect loop infinite replay tight design. Weaknesses minor.

Play if deckbuilders poker scaling short addictive runs.

Skip if hate RNG narrative focus mobile ports.

$14.99 steals 100 hours. Best indie roguelike generation.

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