Balatro review - jokers to the right
Review information Platform reviewed: PC Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Release date: February 20, 2024 Balatro does for poker what Shotgun King did for chess: turn a relatively straightforward and iconic game into something more outlandish and - arguably - something even more fun. A deckbuilding roguelite at heart, those unfamiliar with the rules of poker will be relieved to hear that Balatro only really loosely bases itself around the popular card game. You’ll play hands like three-of-a-kind and straight flush, but this is just the skeleton of what Balatro offers. The meat of it, then, is how you’re encouraged to build and improve your deck through a variety of means. A baseline knowledge of poker actually won’t get you very far in Balatro; it’s playing its own game, with its own unique set of rules; this is what truly sets it apart from other deckbuilders on the market. I'm the Joker, baby (Image credit: Playsta...