Balatro
2024 · Roguelike Deckbuilder
Balatro takes the familiar language of poker hands and turns it into one of the most compulsive games available on any platform. Its Joker synergy system creates a different puzzle every run, its mobile port is among the best ever made, and its premium price means no ads or energy timers getting between you and the next hand. RNG will occasionally end a promising run through no fault of your own, and late-game strategies can start to converge. But the highs are so high, the feedback so immediate, and the depth so surprising that those complaints barely register against the overall experience.