Indie Game Balatro Hits 3.5 Million Sales and Game of the Year Contender

The poker-inspired roguelike from solo developer LocalThunk has seen massive success across platforms and is up for major awards at The Game Awards 2024.

Balatro, a roguelike deck builder blending poker mechanics, has sold 3.5 million units within its first year of release.
The game, developed by solo creator LocalThunk and published by Playstack, is available on major consoles, PC, and mobile platforms, where it has generated $4.4 million in revenue.
Balatro features unique collaborations with franchises like Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Stardew Valley, with CD Projekt Red recently adding a Balatro-themed quest to Cyberpunk 2077.
Despite its success, the creator has expressed mixed feelings about the impact of the game's release on his personal life but plans to introduce a major gameplay update in 2025.
Balatro is a Game of the Year nominee at The Game Awards 2024, competing against major titles like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.