Summary
Balatrocreator LocalThunk was stunned and in complete disbelief after seeing the game’s initial review scores following its February 2024 launch. Despite being an indie title created by a single developer,Balatrowas one of the biggest games of last year, with the poker roguelike even being nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024.
Released on July 20, 2025,Balatrowas an instant hit, with many quickly praising the indie title for its easy-to-understand gameplay that is also incredibly tough to master. Fast-paced and addictive, the title tasks players with forming Poker hands to reach specific point goals, with dozens of unique Joker cards adding multipliers and special abilities to the mix. Combining certain Jokers can push a player’s score into the hundreds of millions, and fans have spent the past year formulating the best strategies. While players had no trouble seeing whyBalatrowas so popular, its creator wasn’t so confident that it would catch on with general audiences.
In a recentblog post, developer LocalThunk shared ’s development process, including details about the title’s launch day. According to the creator, the first major review came courtesy ofPC Gamer, with the publication givingBalatroa score of 91. According to him, LocalThunk was on a call with publisher Playstack at the time. “I can tell they are pretty shocked. I am shocked. That rating doesn’t make any sense,” the developer wrote. Following this, the game continued to see stellar reviews from dozens of other publications and thousands of players, withBalatrositting at 92 onOpenCritic. LocalThunk explains that this increased his excitement for launch day, as he also joked that he would only giveBalatroan eight out of 10, despite being the one who made it. In the post, the solo dev also claims thatBalatro’s unprecedented launchwas 10-20 times larger than he and the publisher anticipated.
Localthunk Stunned by High Reviews Following Balatro’s February 2024 Launch
By mid-December 2024,Balatrohad sold over 3.5 million copies, with its appearance at The Game Awards 2024 boosting player interest in the poker deck-builder. The title was nominated for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Mobile Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Debut Indie Game, winning in the last three categories.Balatroalso brought in over $1 million in its first week on Android and iOS devices, with sales still going strong over a year after its initial PC and console release.
LocalThunk is an outspoken supporter of indie games, with the creator namingAnimal Wellhis personal 2024 Game of the Year. Also made by a solo developer, Billy Basso, the Metroidvania puts players in the role of an unnamed creature as they explore underground labyrinths filled with unique creatures.Animal Wellwas also nominated for many awards, snagging Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
