Recent reviews by Map of the Realm

I would say it draws on what those have done before it, but that would do the game a disservice. Balatro's essence stems from the origins of cards, and is fueled by the gleaming hope of the gambler. It wears its heart on its sleeve, displaying its enthusiasm for the game of Poker (and Clowning) with a cheeky smile. It's hypnotic and welcoming soundtrack accented by the psychedelic swirls that adorn the screen can entrance the unwary. As you play you may find yourself getting so invested, that when you look up at the clock hours have passed when it may have only felt like minutes. When you begin, you'll feel as clever as a fox. Jokers that gift you the power to overcome each increasing blind with crafty tricks, loopholes and multipliers will make you feel like a master of this transcendent domain of luck. However, with each passing hand, the blinds get higher. and higher. and HIGHER. Soon you'll find yourself staring down a million point threshold. Looking up towards those shiny smiling sentinels of fortune at the top of your screen with a sense of trepidation, your confidence might start to waver. Half Baked napkin math got you this far, but weaving the array of shiny enhanced cards, mult triggers and order dependent rules you've made for yourself could find the you lost in a labyrinth of your own making if you want to make a truly optimized hand. 5 Aces. Deep Breath. Click Play. And let the chips fall where they may. Balatro is a Triumph.

I never played the Beta so I have no frame of reference for how things used to be VS how they are now. The game is fun, full stop. As someone going into it blind, it's fast paced and you cannot beat the price tag. The theme is fun, the announcer is colorful. All around a solid game with a lot of personality!

For some this game may seem intimidating on the onset, with many of its unlocks and treasures hidden behind a large skill curve. But once I grasped the mechanics for the weapons and enemy patterns it becomes one of the most replayable games I've ever gotten my hands on. I'm the sort of guy that likes a challenge and this game certainly provides that. Run after run I threw myself at the proverbial "wall" until I eeked out to the Black Bridge and promptly died against the games first boss. That will happen. I got frustrated, but i didn't want to quit because the game hooks you by giving you smaller tasks to accomplish that you can contribute within the first minute and a half of a run (if you're quick) by using collected "cells" to unlock new items and upgrades with the blueprints you've collected along the way.

I will say, the fact that only 7 percent of the people that own this game have unlocked all of the runes (in game items that permanently change the gameplay) speaks a lot to the difficulty of this game, which is a shame. People are missing out on a truly great experience. The background art is gorgeous, with different color pallets for each area, my personal favorite being the golden open skies of the Ramparts. The enemy designs are creative and their patterns are fun to parry and dodge.

The levels look stunning. I'm in love with the pseudo-3D pixels, and each area has so much character and depth. The soundtrack is probably my favorite of last year.

There are some critcisms I have though. I find it confusing that the wall jump is an unlockable rune. Something THAT integral to platforming should be available to use at the start. Some of the weapons I feel are useless (the infantry grenade i'm looking at you) and while the random starter weapons do help contribute to the replayability, I have sometimes found myself with useless weapon combinations that aren't fun to play with.

Invested in the kickstarter and expected so much more. The claymation is stellar and the backgrounds look great but the puzzles aren't very fun. Soundtrack is also lack luster, this game is a real lemon.

This game is an indie 4 player heist game of wonderfully charming demeanor. Highly reccomend for ages 8-88.