Summary
The developer ofBalatro, LocalThunk, has launched the first major update for the game this week. Public testers can now accessBalatro’s1.0.1 version, while the general public will have to wait about a week before the release, provided everything goes according to plan. The developer indicated the update may be delayed depending on the testers' feedback.
Balatrois a roguelike card game that blends poker rules with its own mechanics. Developed by a single person,Balatro’s challenges players to face tables with increasingly higher Blinds, which is the number of points a player must amass to survive. Players must combine and synergize their cards to progress whilestrategically adapting to the randomnessof a roguelike game.
Update 1.0.1 ofBalatroadds more mechanics to the game but also reduces the difficulty factor slightly. The developer said this update is mainly a balance, which tries to make earlier stages more forgiving without removing the RNG element. InBalatro, there’s the Ante, a round of play that dictates the score a player must achieve. Update 1.0.1 reduces the Ante scaling in the most challenging stages, making the hard mode easier. The patch also adds new mechanics for the Joker, such as Perishable and Rental, potentially creating numerousnew strategies forBalatro.
Another feature that will makeBalatroeasier is that some rare and common Jokers will be free. The money earned in each stage depends on the player’s performance. Now, even if one hasn’t achieved an excellent performance, they will still have the possibility to acquire new Jokers andimprove theirBalatrodecks. Other changes buff or nerf the effect of a card, and some fix minor bugs.
Those interested in participating in the public testing of the update must look forBalatroin the Steam Library, go to the gear icon, and click on Properties. Next, go to Betas, select Beta Participation and choose “public_experimental.” The game will update with the latest patch, allowing testers to check out the changes in the Ante and thetwo new Joker mechanics. LocalThunk asks for feedback on the update to be shared on the game’s official Discord.
Balatrois one of the rare indie game that arrives unexpectedly and takes the gaming industry by storm. The roguelike card game has garnered rave reviews on aggregators, makingBalatroone of the high-rated games of 2024. The game is available on almost all modern platforms and is ready for anyone interested in mixing a good dose of strategy with randomness.
