Balatro has recently hit a major milestone, selling a remarkable five million copies just as it nears its first anniversary this February. Released in February 2024, Balatro is an indie game that artfully blends poker mechanics with the roguelike deck-building genre. Its unique approach has captivated players worldwide, making it one of the standout titles of last year. At The Game Awards 2024, Balatro was a force to be reckoned with, clinching three awards including Best Indie, Best Debut Indie, and Best Mobile Game, out of its impressive five nominations that included Game of the Year.
When Balatro launched on PC and consoles on February 20, 2024, it quickly gained traction, followed closely by a macOS release and, come September, its much-anticipated arrival on mobile devices which further boosted its popularity. By October, LocalThunk, the game’s developer, proudly announced that players had invested the equivalent of 11,000 years into the game, with 3.5 million copies sold before the holiday season.
In a recent announcement on Twitter, LocalThunk shared the exciting news that Balatro has now reached the five million sales mark, expressing gratitude to the gaming community for their overwhelming support, particularly after its success at The Game Awards. They also encouraged fans to continue supporting indie games, emphasizing the value of backing small developers and studios.
Having garnered significant attention at The Game Awards 2024 no doubt helped Balatro achieve this sales milestone within the year. Interestingly, it sold 1.5 million copies in just over a month since its last sales update pre-awards. With upcoming events like the DICE Awards and the New York Game Awards on the horizon, further boosts in recognition and sales might be in store for Balatro if it continues to feature prominently at these gatherings.
2024 was indeed a phenomenal year for Balatro, yet it appears LocalThunk is set on maintaining this momentum into 2025. Throughout the past year, the game has engaged players with various cosmetic crossovers themed around popular games like Cult of the Lamb, Among Us, and even titans of the industry like CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. Fans can certainly look forward to more such intriguing collaborations as Balatro moves toward reaching its next significant milestone.
Balatro stands apart as a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder that thrives on creating compelling synergies. Players are tasked with crafting powerful poker hands combined with unique Joker cards to form dynamic and strategic builds. As they progress, they earn chips to tackle increasingly devious challenges, uncover hidden bonuses, and strive to beat formidable opponents in pursuit of victory. Released in February 2024, and developed by LocalThunk with Playstack as the publisher, Balatro runs on the LÖVE engine and has earned the ESRB rating of E for Everyone, consolidating its legacy as a must-play title in the indie gaming scene.
