I Finally Played Balatro And It Confirmed Why 2024 Was Such A Good Year For Games

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When launched in early 2024, I had absolutely no interest in playing it. My friends did nothing but sing its praises, the internet told me it was the must-play game of the year, and every day when walking back from the shops I'd see my neighbor playing it — I'm not weird, he just always has his curtains open. After a while, the fever died down, and I figured it would become yet another critically acclaimed indie I just don't have the time for.

Fast-forward a few months and earns indie game of the year and gets a GOTY nomination at the 2024 Game Awards, officially cementing it as one of the best indie games of 2024. Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me, so I finally gave it a go. Of course, anyone who has played will know that I instantly fell in love because it really is that good. However, I don't want to talk just about how good is, but rather about how its gameplay loop is illustrative of a gaming trend that has dominated 2024.

is a simple game at its core. It sees players make poker hands in order to score points, with better hands earning higher amounts of coins and multipliers. This is all framed by a roguelike model, which requires players to beat or skip two easier «blinds» before taking on the «boss blind». With eight rounds to beat before it reaches an endless mode, fans just have to get through 24 missions which is no easy feat. Of course, it's made all the better thanks to an unbelievably good score made even better during the Game Awards.

complexity comes from its Jokers, which is understandably mine and everyone else's favorite part of the game. These are dished out randomly in the shop, with each one typically increasing the amount of chips or multiplier players earn in one turn depending on specific factors. For example, players could purchase a Joker that adds four to the multiplier for every Spade card in their hand.

Naturally, this can lead to a lot of strategizing, with the idea being to build your deck of cards around these Jokers. The