Sometimes a game is so monumentally crazy that it takes the world by storm.Jimbo’s eccentric card journey has cemented itself as one of the most addictive games released in recent yearsand is an indie bestseller on a scale that is rarely seen.
According to LocalThunk on social media,Balatrohas sold a whopping 5 million copies in its first 11 monthsin the market. If you told most industry analysts a year ago that 2024 would have been ruled by the sketchiest poker hands you could imagine, most would not called you crazy. Well, asBalatrodemonstrates perfectly, crazy sells.
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Balatro’s success has made it an indie darling on levels not seen since releases likeCeleste.Creator LocalThunk has decided to stay anonymous throughout this journey, buthe expressed mixed feelings about the game’s overwhelming successin an interview with GQ magazine.
Being a hit on this scale, even if behind a mask of anonymity, is still a transformative life experience, and LocalThunk has confessed to missing “that time before” when “it was just a hobby that recharged my batteries.”
How Balatro Became Cooler Than Poker
Poker has always been associated with more serious play than most card games, especially since the advent of major online competitions and millionaire professional players.
Balatroswapped the seriousness for abject madness when it was released on February 2024, and it has arguably become the dominant view of pokerand poker-adjacent digital formats despite having a few screws loose.
The game initially came out for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, with a macOS version available less than two weeks in. It quickly became clear that Balatro was extremely marketable andvery addictive.
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The simple interface made itperfect for handheld gaming, and that pushed LocalThunk to port Balatro to Android and iOS in September. The release was an overwhelming success,earning $1 million in mobile revenuein the first week, but that paled in comparison with the boost afterThe Game Awards in November.
Despite being eligible for smaller categories,Balatromade its debut with a bang: it was one of the six games up forthe prestigious Game of the Year title.
Sony’sAstro Boteventually took the award, but according to the game’s creator,the exposure at TGA helpedBalatromake another $4 million on mobile alone.
Balatrohas stolen hearts (and a lot of free time) in 2024, but there is no reason why Jimbo cannot continue his rampage in 2025.
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