[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fvkZRLGVDGf23ACdP21e4LAq9GpfKWYhuR6mcoiIevc8":3},{"game":4,"reviews":20},{"id":5,"name":6,"summary":7,"cover_image":8,"header_image":9,"release_date":10,"created_at":11,"updated_at":12,"igdb_id":13,"slug":14,"is_published":15,"trailer_url":16,"category":17,"avg_score":18,"steam_app_id":19},102689,"Balatro","Balatro is a deck-building roguelite where you must play poker hands and earn chips to defeat enemy blinds. Enhance your deck of playing cards, buy Jokers to modify each hand you play, and discover new and wild synergies to win!","102689\u002FBalatro Cover.webp","102689\u002Fbalatro header.webp","2024-02-20","2024-09-14T02:10:30.404013-04:00","2026-03-27T17:03:50.612584-04:00",251833,"balatro",true,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=VUyP21iQ_-g&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD",0,93.47,2379780,[21,61,90,113,140,160,188,216,243,264,290,316,340,366,387,412,436,461,487,510,537],{"id":22,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":23,"author":24,"original_score":32,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":34,"review_date":35,"summary":36,"created_at":37,"updated_at":38,"author_id":25,"last_edited_at":38,"outlet":39},71613,38,{"id":25,"bio":26,"name":27,"avg_score":28,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":29,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":30,"claim_token":26,"article_count":31,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4697,null,"Arron Kluz",68.85135135135135,"2025-01-24T10:58:56.69309-05:00","2025-07-08T17:43:49.005107-04:00",75,"90",90,"https:\u002F\u002Fbutwhytho.net\u002F2024\u002F12\u002Freview-balatro-is-a-dopamine-trip-switch\u002F","2024-12-20","Balatro’s genius is exposed when you take the simple individual components of a run and combine them in the perfect mixture to create something far greater than the sum of its parts. And then you start trying to see how far you can push it, or what other combinations can help you reach e-notation. And then you’re there. You’re a Balatro fan.","2025-01-30T10:56:42.442578-05:00","2025-02-11T06:32:24.801786-05:00",{"id":23,"logo":40,"name":41,"slug":42,"tags":43,"bluesky":44,"twitter":45,"youtube":46,"facebook":45,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":47,"website_url":48,"score_format":49,"average_score":50,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":52,"stats_updated_at":53,"headquarters_city":54,"news_editor_email":55,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":56,"active_authors_count":57,"headquarters_country":58,"reviews_editor_email":59,"editor_in_chief_email":59,"published_authors_count":23,"published_reviews_count":60},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FBut-Why-Tho-Logo.jpg","But Why Tho","but-why-tho","[  \n  'independent',\n  'women_led',\n  'minority_led',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","butwhytho.net","ButWhyThoPC","@ButWhyThoPC","Independent media outlet covering video games, film, TV, and anime.","https:\u002F\u002Fbutwhytho.net\u002F","10",79,"UTC","2026-08-11","2026-08-13T14:08:40.588359","Texas","matt@butwhytho.net",4,5,"United States","kate@butwhythopodcast.com",829,{"id":62,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":50,"author":63,"original_score":69,"normalized_score":26,"review_url":70,"review_date":35,"summary":71,"created_at":72,"updated_at":72,"author_id":64,"last_edited_at":73,"outlet":74},64623,{"id":64,"bio":26,"name":65,"avg_score":26,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":66,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":67,"claim_token":26,"article_count":68,"claimed_by_user_id":26},5000,"Gaming Gideon","2025-01-27T06:47:23.777433-05:00","2026-06-18T20:04:41.744349-04:00",100,"Unscored","https:\u002F\u002Fgideonsgaming.com\u002Fbalatro-review\u002F","Monkey sees numbers go up, monkey happy. That’s Balatro in a nutshell. It has an incredibly addictive gameplay loop that manages to activate the same neurons that predatory gambling games and mobile trash love to prey on. The thing is, there’s nothing remotely predatory about Balatro. It’s just a rogue-lite card game with absolutely no stakes. Well, except for the sleep you might lose by playing it well past bedtime.","2025-01-27T06:47:24.138306-05:00","2025-01-27T06:56:42.508255-05:00",{"id":50,"logo":75,"name":76,"slug":77,"tags":78,"bluesky":79,"twitter":80,"youtube":81,"facebook":26,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":82,"website_url":83,"score_format":84,"average_score":26,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":85,"stats_updated_at":86,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":87,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":58,"reviews_editor_email":87,"editor_in_chief_email":87,"published_authors_count":88,"published_reviews_count":89},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGideons-Gaming-logo.jpg","Gideons Gaming","gideons-gaming","[  \n  'independent',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","https:\u002F\u002Fbsky.app\u002Fprofile\u002Fgaminggideon.bsky.social","GideonsGaming","@GideonsGaming","Video game reviewer, board game reviewer, and content creator! Everyone has a schtick, mine is that I don't have one, all of my reviews and content are 100%, Gideon, for better or worse.\n\nLook to Gideon's Gaming for in-depth reviews of video games and board games, plus the occasional guide or opinion piece no one asked for!\n\nEmail: jp (at) gideonsgaming.com","https:\u002F\u002Fgideonsgaming.com\u002F","unscored","2026-03-28","2026-08-14T15:37:10.754514","jp@gideonsgaming.com",1,72,{"id":91,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":92,"author":93,"original_score":100,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":101,"review_date":102,"summary":103,"created_at":104,"updated_at":104,"author_id":94,"last_edited_at":104,"outlet":105},2233898,154,{"id":94,"bio":26,"name":95,"avg_score":96,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":97,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":98,"claim_token":26,"article_count":99,"claimed_by_user_id":26},17801,"By Moiz Banoori",76.76923076923077,"2026-03-21T07:03:03.031247-04:00","2026-06-18T16:01:40.188076-04:00",45,"4.5","https:\u002F\u002Fexputer.com\u002Freviews\u002Fbalatro-a-fun-deck-building-delight\u002F","2024-04-17","The constantly challenging nature of Balatro makes it an unforgettable experience and a delight for Poker enthusiasts.","2026-03-21T07:25:58.479082-04:00",{"id":92,"logo":106,"name":107,"slug":108,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":26,"youtube":26,"facebook":26,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":26,"website_url":109,"score_format":110,"average_score":111,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":112,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FExputer.jpg","eXputer","exputer","https:\u002F\u002Fexputer.com\u002F","5",74,"2026-03-21T07:01:49.054409",{"id":114,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":115,"author":116,"original_score":123,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":124,"review_date":125,"summary":126,"created_at":127,"updated_at":127,"author_id":117,"last_edited_at":128,"outlet":129},26755,28,{"id":117,"bio":26,"name":118,"avg_score":119,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":120,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":121,"claim_token":26,"article_count":122,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2860,"Alessandro Barbosa",70.55555555555556,"2024-12-04T12:17:23.711904-05:00","2025-11-04T15:39:00.399527-05:00",54,"9.0","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespot.com\u002Freviews\u002Fbalatro-review-one-more-blind\u002F1900-6418192\u002F","2024-03-07","Balatro's ingenious combination of poker and roguelite gameplay creates an intoxicating combination that's hard to pull away from.","2024-12-04T13:41:07.598689-05:00","2024-12-29T20:20:33.816897-05:00",{"id":115,"logo":130,"name":131,"slug":132,"tags":133,"bluesky":134,"twitter":131,"youtube":132,"facebook":131,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":135,"website_url":136,"score_format":49,"average_score":137,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":139,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGameSpot-Logo.jpg","GameSpot","gamespot","[  \n  'corporate_owned',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","gamespot.com","GameSpot is the world's leading source for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS Vita, Wii, PC, 3DS, and DS video game news, reviews, previews, trailers, walkthroughs, and more.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespot.com",71,"2025-07-04T09:28:49.429906","thussain@fandom.com",{"id":141,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":137,"author":142,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":149,"review_date":150,"summary":151,"created_at":152,"updated_at":152,"author_id":143,"last_edited_at":152,"outlet":153},82516,{"id":143,"bio":26,"name":144,"avg_score":145,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":146,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":147,"claim_token":26,"article_count":148,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4018,"Jenni Lada",74.5662100456621,"2025-01-18T12:18:13.780292-05:00","2025-08-10T17:37:30.177791-04:00",217,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siliconera.com\u002Freview-balatro-will-improve-or-ruin-your-life\u002F","2024-03-06","The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos. Switch version reviewed.","2025-02-24T14:30:14.973324-05:00",{"id":137,"logo":154,"name":155,"slug":156,"tags":133,"bluesky":26,"twitter":156,"youtube":157,"facebook":156,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":158,"website_url":159,"score_format":49,"average_score":31,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FSiliconera-Logo.jpg","Siliconera","siliconera","@SiliconeraOfficial","Bringing you news on Japanese video games, entertainment, and terrible puns since 2003.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siliconera.com\u002F",{"id":161,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":162,"author":163,"original_score":170,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":171,"review_date":172,"summary":173,"created_at":174,"updated_at":174,"author_id":164,"last_edited_at":174,"outlet":175},75491,70,{"id":164,"bio":26,"name":165,"avg_score":166,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":167,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":168,"claim_token":26,"article_count":169,"claimed_by_user_id":26},5797,"TJ Denzer",80.08771929824562,"2025-02-08T08:46:05.743273-05:00","2026-08-13T10:47:29.801509-04:00",172,"9\u002F10","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shacknews.com\u002Farticle\u002F138994\u002Fbalatro-review-score","2024-03-05","I never would have expected that a roguelike could work so well in a card game before I played Balatro. It’s simple and guides you in so well, but escalates quickly and is happy to crush your run at any moment with the smallest strokes of misfortune. That’s what makes the variety of jokers and bonus cards so fun to explore. Every new option provides an opportunity to buck the house advantage. It leads to an appealing gameplay loop that kept me wanting to try all sorts of new angles and strategies. Balatro is something far out of the ordinary, and heaven forbid it ever makes its way to mobile because my casual time will powerless against it (please?).","2025-02-08T09:00:56.768715-05:00",{"id":162,"logo":176,"name":177,"slug":178,"tags":179,"bluesky":26,"twitter":178,"youtube":180,"facebook":178,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":181,"website_url":182,"score_format":49,"average_score":183,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":184,"news_editor_email":185,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":58,"reviews_editor_email":186,"editor_in_chief_email":187,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FShackNews-Logo.jpg","ShackNews","shacknews","[  \n  'corporate_owned',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","Shacknewsgames","Gaming News on the Cutting Edge of Technology.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shacknews.com\u002F",76,"Canton, OH","tj.denzer@shacknews.com","bill.lavoy@shacknews.com","asif.khan@shacknews.com",{"id":189,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":190,"author":191,"original_score":32,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":198,"review_date":199,"summary":200,"created_at":201,"updated_at":201,"author_id":192,"last_edited_at":201,"outlet":202},37738,7,{"id":192,"bio":26,"name":193,"avg_score":194,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":195,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":196,"claim_token":26,"article_count":197,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3500,"Lou Sytsma",77.39393939393939,"2025-01-15T12:06:31.844423-05:00","2026-08-14T06:31:01.468569-04:00",66,"https:\u002F\u002Fcogconnected.com\u002Freview\u002Fbalatro\u002F","2024-03-03","Balatro is the clever marriage of card deck building and poker from developer Localthunk. Obviously, poker has the allure of high stakes strategy, luck, and competition and deck building has a similar draw that lasts past a current hand.","2025-01-15T13:38:13.553958-05:00",{"id":190,"logo":203,"name":204,"slug":205,"tags":206,"bluesky":207,"twitter":208,"youtube":209,"facebook":208,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":210,"website_url":211,"score_format":212,"average_score":213,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":214,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":215,"reviews_editor_email":214,"editor_in_chief_email":214,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Fcog-connected-logo.png","COGConnected","cogconnected","[  \n  'independent',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","","COGconnected","GameCanadian","COGconnected is your source for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, Nintendo Switch video games with News, Reviews, Videos, Cosplays and Top Lists.","https:\u002F\u002Fcogconnected.com","100",77,"trevor@cogconnected.com","Canada",{"id":217,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":218,"author":219,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":226,"review_date":227,"summary":228,"created_at":229,"updated_at":229,"author_id":220,"last_edited_at":229,"outlet":230},44876,62,{"id":220,"bio":26,"name":221,"avg_score":222,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":223,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":224,"claim_token":26,"article_count":225,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3946,"Sebastian Hawden",82.63157894736842,"2025-01-18T11:18:21.748622-05:00","2025-01-24T09:57:44.485405-05:00",19,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psu.com\u002Freviews\u002Fbalatro-review-ps5\u002F","2024-03-01","It will be very difficult to find a game I have enjoyed exploring more than Balatro this year. Learning its mechanics were like learning a new language and it was all-encompassing. Balatro should be the design template going forward for many designers, it contains 0% fat and is trimmed to perfection. Not a pixel or mechanic is wasted in this immensely addictive roguelike. Bravo to all involved.","2025-01-18T12:24:14.330828-05:00",{"id":218,"logo":231,"name":232,"slug":233,"tags":133,"bluesky":26,"twitter":234,"youtube":26,"facebook":26,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":235,"website_url":236,"score_format":49,"average_score":237,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":238,"stats_updated_at":239,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":56,"active_authors_count":240,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":241,"published_reviews_count":242},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FPlaystation-Universe-Logo.jpg","Playstation Universe","playstation-universe","PSUdotcom","PS4, PSVR and PS5 news, reviews, previews, features, guides, podcasts & more from the largest independent PlayStation site in the world.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psu.com\u002F",78,"2025-07-16","2025-07-16T14:07:29.894888",9,46,486,{"id":244,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":245,"author":246,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":252,"review_date":227,"summary":253,"created_at":254,"updated_at":254,"author_id":247,"last_edited_at":254,"outlet":255},81856,34,{"id":247,"bio":26,"name":248,"avg_score":249,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":250,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":251,"claim_token":26,"article_count":68,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3175,"Ollie Reynolds",70.8,"2024-12-06T10:22:05.028116-05:00","2025-10-21T09:05:53.43371-04:00","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nintendolife.com\u002Freviews\u002Fswitch-eshop\u002Fbalatro","Balatro is a roguelike for gamers who don't like roguelikes... and then everybody else on top of that. It utterly nails what it sets out to do, providing an instantly accessible, satisfying, and addictive gameplay loop that anybody can grasp. It's an immensely enjoyable experience from the start, but as you get deeper in, there's really nothing else quite like it. We suspect we'll be hearing a lot about Balatro when conversations steer towards Game of the Year, because this is a clear and obvious frontrunner. Utterly sublime.","2025-02-14T09:17:10.352154-05:00",{"id":245,"logo":256,"name":257,"slug":258,"tags":259,"bluesky":260,"twitter":258,"youtube":261,"facebook":261,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":262,"website_url":263,"score_format":49,"average_score":31,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FNintendoLife-Logo.jpg","Nintendo Life","nintendo-life","[  \n  'independent',\n  'inactive',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","nintendolife.com","nintendolife","The latest Nintendo Switch news, reviews and videos. We are the most visited #Nintendo site in the world.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nintendolife.com\u002F",{"id":265,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":266,"author":267,"original_score":274,"normalized_score":275,"review_url":276,"review_date":277,"summary":278,"created_at":279,"updated_at":279,"author_id":268,"last_edited_at":128,"outlet":280},18365,8,{"id":268,"bio":26,"name":269,"avg_score":270,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":271,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":272,"claim_token":26,"article_count":273,"claimed_by_user_id":26},1158,"Christian Donlan",80.95238095238095,"2024-11-27T15:07:38.728088-05:00","2026-07-21T11:01:52.684286-04:00",145,"4\u002F5",80,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.eurogamer.net\u002Fbalatro-review","2024-02-29","Poker goes into the blender and emerges in fine form.","2024-12-02T08:57:31.38133-05:00",{"id":266,"logo":281,"name":282,"slug":283,"tags":133,"bluesky":284,"twitter":283,"youtube":283,"facebook":282,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":285,"website_url":286,"score_format":110,"average_score":287,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":288,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":289,"reviews_editor_email":288,"editor_in_chief_email":288,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FEuroGamer-Logo.png","Eurogamer","eurogamer","eurogamer.bsky.social","Your trusted source for video game news, reviews and guides, since 1999.","https:\u002F\u002Feurogamer.net",73,"tom@eurogamer.net","United Kingdom",{"id":291,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":292,"author":293,"original_score":300,"normalized_score":301,"review_url":302,"review_date":303,"summary":304,"created_at":305,"updated_at":305,"author_id":294,"last_edited_at":305,"outlet":306},104827,141,{"id":294,"bio":26,"name":295,"avg_score":296,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":297,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":298,"claim_token":26,"article_count":299,"claimed_by_user_id":26},9110,"Marcus Stewart",80.90350877192982,"2025-03-26T08:19:01.761185-04:00","2026-05-15T10:38:24.288354-04:00",57,"9.50\u002F10",95,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gameinformer.com\u002Freview\u002Fbalatro\u002Fa-winning-hand","2024-02-28","I’m not a poker player. I’ve never learned the game, and my limited knowledge of it largely stems from pop culture osmosis, such as James Bond films and referential quips from X-Men’s Gambit. I couldn’t tell you what makes a Royal Flush, but I know it’s good to have it. Despite its premise and appearance, Balatro technically isn’t poker. It is, however, the first title to make me understand and enjoy the core premise of the card game. It also happens to be one of the most engrossing games of the year.","2025-03-26T08:23:16.943337-04:00",{"id":292,"logo":307,"name":308,"slug":309,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":310,"youtube":311,"facebook":312,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":313,"website_url":314,"score_format":49,"average_score":50,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":315,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":58,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Fgameinformer.jpg","Game Informer","gameinformer","GameInformer","@gameinformer","officialgameinformer","Over 30 years celebrating the best of games in print and online.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gameinformer.com\u002F","Minneapolis",{"id":317,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":318,"author":319,"original_score":326,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":327,"review_date":328,"summary":329,"created_at":330,"updated_at":330,"author_id":320,"last_edited_at":330,"outlet":331},46520,67,{"id":320,"bio":26,"name":321,"avg_score":322,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":323,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":324,"claim_token":26,"article_count":325,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3171,"PJ O'Reilly",76.11940298507463,"2024-12-06T10:03:57.129389-05:00","2026-06-18T19:19:06.111758-04:00",201,"9","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.purexbox.com\u002Freviews\u002Fxbox-series-x\u002Fbalatro","2024-02-21","Balatro is an incredibly clever indie gem that uses the bones of regular poker to build an incredibly approachable and fiendishly addictive new experience. There's a wonderfully slick core to this one, building decks and taking on dealers as you add wild special cards and variables to your pack is trance-inducing stuff and, backed by a fantastically understated soundtrack and perfect visuals, it makes for one of the first proper, actual, absolute must-play games of 2024.","2025-01-19T09:21:55.399641-05:00",{"id":318,"logo":332,"name":333,"slug":334,"tags":206,"bluesky":335,"twitter":336,"youtube":336,"facebook":337,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":338,"website_url":339,"score_format":49,"average_score":111,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FPure-Xbox-Logo.jpg","Pure Xbox","pure-xbox","purexbox.com","purexbox","PureXbox","The latest Xbox Series X|S news, reviews and features + some retro Xbox 360 & Original Xbox. We are Pure Xbox.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.purexbox.com\u002F",{"id":341,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":342,"author":343,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":350,"review_date":10,"summary":351,"created_at":352,"updated_at":352,"author_id":344,"last_edited_at":352,"outlet":353},76378,39,{"id":344,"bio":26,"name":345,"avg_score":346,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":347,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":348,"claim_token":26,"article_count":349,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3427,"Noah Kupetsky",77.6056338028169,"2025-01-13T10:34:29.318413-05:00","2026-08-17T09:17:17.502013-04:00",426,"https:\u002F\u002Fsteamdeckhq.com\u002Fgame-reviews\u002Fbalantro\u002F","Balatro is an incredible roguelike with a unique poker theme that helps it shine above its competitors, especially on Steam Deck.","2025-02-10T06:26:35.434576-05:00",{"id":342,"logo":354,"name":355,"slug":356,"tags":78,"bluesky":357,"twitter":358,"youtube":359,"facebook":360,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":361,"website_url":362,"score_format":49,"average_score":237,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":363,"news_editor_email":364,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":365,"reviews_editor_email":364,"editor_in_chief_email":364,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FSteamDeckHQ-Logo.jpg","Steam Deck HQ","steam-deck-hq","steamdeckhq.com","SteamDeckHQ","@SteamDeckHQ","steamdeckhq","SteamDeckHQ is an independent press outlet that specializes in Steam Deck performance analysis, creates guides, and reports on news revolving around the Steam Deck.","https:\u002F\u002Fsteamdeckhq.com\u002F","Los Angeles","n.kupetsky@steamdeckhq.com","United States of America",{"id":367,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":368,"author":369,"original_score":123,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":376,"review_date":10,"summary":377,"created_at":378,"updated_at":378,"author_id":370,"last_edited_at":378,"outlet":379},100239,138,{"id":370,"bio":26,"name":371,"avg_score":372,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":373,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":374,"claim_token":26,"article_count":375,"claimed_by_user_id":26},8956,"Leo Faria",71.18289353958144,"2025-03-25T16:26:59.880492-04:00","2026-08-19T12:56:44.643911-04:00",1104,"https:\u002F\u002Fwaytoomany.games\u002F2024\u002F02\u002F20\u002Freview-balatro\u002F","I had never heard of Balatro prior to its release. From out of nowhere, I was looking at a minuscule indie based on a mere deck of cards getting scores as high as the ones earned by Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That looked very odd, but also equally enticing. This obscure title could have either been a magnificent hidden gem or an ungodly overrated token indie which would have been fun to write about. I would have had fun with it regardless of the results. ...","2025-03-25T16:44:41.680942-04:00",{"id":368,"logo":380,"name":381,"slug":382,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":381,"youtube":383,"facebook":384,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":385,"website_url":386,"score_format":49,"average_score":31,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FWayTooManyGames.png","WayTooManyGames","way-too-many-games","@WayTooManyGames","waytoomanygames","We play the good, the bad, and the so bad it's good. ","https:\u002F\u002Fwaytoomany.games\u002F",{"id":388,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":389,"author":390,"original_score":396,"normalized_score":397,"review_url":398,"review_date":399,"summary":400,"created_at":401,"updated_at":401,"author_id":391,"last_edited_at":128,"outlet":402},30828,35,{"id":391,"bio":26,"name":392,"avg_score":393,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":394,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":395,"claim_token":26,"article_count":115,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2115,"Abbie Stone",73.77777777777777,"2024-12-02T12:24:50.22563-05:00","2026-01-19T12:35:43.906336-05:00","91",91,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcgamer.com\u002Fbalatro-review\u002F","2024-02-19","This poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder revels in the thrill of cheating.\n","2024-12-06T11:58:08.025462-05:00",{"id":389,"logo":403,"name":404,"slug":405,"tags":179,"bluesky":406,"twitter":407,"youtube":407,"facebook":408,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":409,"website_url":410,"score_format":212,"average_score":183,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":411,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FPCGamer-Logo.jpg","PC Gamer","pc-gamer","pcgamer.com","pcgamer","pcgamermagazine","The global authority on PC games.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcgamer.com\u002F","editors@pcgamer.com",{"id":413,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":414,"author":415,"original_score":84,"normalized_score":26,"review_url":420,"review_date":399,"summary":421,"created_at":422,"updated_at":422,"author_id":416,"last_edited_at":422,"outlet":423},48589,64,{"id":416,"bio":26,"name":417,"avg_score":89,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":418,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":419,"claim_token":26,"article_count":89,"claimed_by_user_id":26},1007,"Katharine Castle","2024-11-27T13:59:42.261331-05:00","2025-07-08T17:47:15.010553-04:00","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rockpapershotgun.com\u002Fbalatro-review","A clever roguelike card game about cheating your way to victory, Balatro is a generous and mesmeric take on poker with endless strategic possibilities.","2025-01-21T06:58:51.704577-05:00",{"id":414,"logo":424,"name":425,"slug":426,"tags":133,"bluesky":427,"twitter":428,"youtube":429,"facebook":428,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":430,"website_url":431,"score_format":84,"average_score":26,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":432,"news_editor_email":433,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":289,"reviews_editor_email":434,"editor_in_chief_email":435,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FRock-Paper-Shotgun-Logo.jpg","Rock Paper Shotgun","rock-paper-shotgun","rockpapershotgun.bsky.social","rockpapershot","@rockpapershot","We write about PC games, and things to do with PC games.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rockpapershotgun.com\u002F","London","edwin.evansthirlwell@rockpapershotgun.com","ed.thorn@rockpapershotgun.com","graham@rockpapershotgun.com",{"id":437,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":438,"author":439,"original_score":170,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":447,"review_date":399,"summary":448,"created_at":449,"updated_at":449,"author_id":440,"last_edited_at":449,"outlet":450},62183,27,{"id":440,"bio":26,"name":441,"avg_score":442,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":443,"profile_id":444,"updated_at":445,"claim_token":26,"article_count":446,"claimed_by_user_id":444},3923,"Kim Snaith",74.45797807551766,"2025-01-17T06:40:44.005933-05:00","9831ce29-32fc-40dc-b7d6-342d11d31842","2026-08-19T14:09:20.565917-04:00",821,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespew.com\u002F2024\u002F02\u002Fbalatro-review-a-card-game-to-beat-all-others\u002F","No two games of Balatro are ever the same, which is only one of the reasons why we love this poker roguelike so much. Sure, it’s annoying if your run doesn’t get off the ground — it’s easy to fail early on if you can’t get your hands on a good Joker. But when you’re in the swing of things, scoring tens of thousands with just one hand, you’ll feel like the most powerful card baron there ever was. Simple and devious, Balatro is, quite frankly, brilliant — and I’m going to be playing this for months to come.","2025-01-26T18:30:36.310856-05:00",{"id":438,"logo":451,"name":452,"slug":453,"tags":454,"bluesky":455,"twitter":453,"youtube":456,"facebook":457,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":458,"website_url":459,"score_format":49,"average_score":31,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":460,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":289,"reviews_editor_email":460,"editor_in_chief_email":460,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGameSpew-Logo.jpg","GameSpew","gamespew","[  \n  'independent',\n  'women_led',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","gamespew.com","UChqYxsfGxsXwrZ76wm7_bWQ","officialgamespew","Your independent site for gaming news, reviews, features, guides and more. For gamers, by gamers.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespew.com","hello@gamespew.com",{"id":462,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":463,"author":464,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":471,"review_date":399,"summary":472,"created_at":473,"updated_at":473,"author_id":465,"last_edited_at":473,"outlet":474},85104,41,{"id":465,"bio":26,"name":466,"avg_score":467,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":468,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":469,"claim_token":26,"article_count":470,"claimed_by_user_id":26},6812,"Jesse 'Doncabesa' Norris",73.56962025316456,"2025-02-26T19:45:58.945634-05:00","2026-02-20T10:09:03.518108-05:00",318,"https:\u002F\u002Fxboxera.com\u002F2024\u002F02\u002F19\u002Freview-balatro\u002F","Accompanying all of this is a gorgeous art style. It’s not pushing any boundaries, and I could see this game running on a ten-year-old phone with little issue.  Still, it looks and sounds great.  There isn’t a wide variety of music in Balatro. Thankfully the main song is relaxing and catchy enough that even after dozens of hours of listening to it I was never bored.","2025-02-26T20:26:35.457059-05:00",{"id":463,"logo":475,"name":476,"slug":477,"tags":78,"bluesky":478,"twitter":477,"youtube":477,"facebook":477,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":479,"website_url":480,"score_format":49,"average_score":237,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":481,"platforms_covered":482,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":289,"reviews_editor_email":485,"editor_in_chief_email":486,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FXbox%20Era%20Logo.jpg","XboxEra","xboxera","xboxera.com","Your destination for Xbox news, previews, reviews and community fun!","https:\u002F\u002Fxboxera.com\u002F","jon.clarke@xboxera.com",[483,484],"Xbox One","Xbox Series X|S","jesse.norris@xboxera.com","pieter.jasper@xboxera.com",{"id":488,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":489,"author":490,"original_score":49,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":497,"review_date":399,"summary":498,"created_at":499,"updated_at":499,"author_id":491,"last_edited_at":500,"outlet":501},58821,81,{"id":491,"bio":26,"name":492,"avg_score":493,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":494,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":495,"claim_token":26,"article_count":496,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4887,"Leo Faierman",78.06451612903226,"2025-01-26T13:16:29.142733-05:00","2026-08-17T09:21:38.850977-04:00",49,"https:\u002F\u002Fscreenrant.com\u002F\u002Fbalatro-pc-review\u002F","Beyond those effects, though, it’s all about the complexity and randomness of bonus cards, the myriad shop items, the lucky joker pulls, these random prompts which can spin the most compromised run into gold. There’s a convenient seed system where players can challenge randomness, repeating their attempts with different choices (but without the opportunity to unlock achievements, of course). The path to success almost always seems within reach, with sufficient visibility in the design and interface that helps players make smart choices, once they’ve better learned what those are. The setup plays nicely with controllers and on the Steam Deck as well, and Balatro’s lightweight sensibility pairs perfectly with a lengthy flight or commute.","2025-01-26T13:21:43.641437-05:00","2025-07-08T18:37:12.795448-04:00",{"id":489,"logo":502,"name":503,"slug":504,"tags":133,"bluesky":26,"twitter":505,"youtube":506,"facebook":505,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":507,"website_url":508,"score_format":49,"average_score":183,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":138,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":509,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FScreen-Rant-Logo.jpg","Screen Rant","screen-rant","screenrant","@ScreenRant","Screen Rant has grown into the largest source of breaking entertainment news and original features for movies, TV, comics, anime & gaming since 2003.","https:\u002F\u002Fscreenrant.com\u002F","editorial@screenrant.com",{"id":511,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":512,"author":513,"original_score":170,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":520,"review_date":399,"summary":521,"created_at":522,"updated_at":522,"author_id":514,"last_edited_at":128,"outlet":523},21136,15,{"id":514,"bio":26,"name":515,"avg_score":516,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":517,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":518,"claim_token":26,"article_count":519,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2572,"Nairon Santos de Morais",70.96153846153847,"2024-12-03T06:59:15.094069-05:00","2025-04-10T10:55:02.858613-04:00",52,"https:\u002F\u002Fgameluster.com\u002Fbalatro-review-a-royal-flush\u002F","To put it in terms as simple as the game itself, Balatro is the best deckbuilding roguelike I've played. And I've played as many as there are cards in a deck (almost).","2024-12-03T08:00:16.540509-05:00",{"id":512,"logo":524,"name":525,"slug":526,"tags":527,"bluesky":528,"twitter":525,"youtube":525,"facebook":525,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":529,"website_url":530,"score_format":49,"average_score":111,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":531,"stats_updated_at":532,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":533,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":534,"editor_in_chief_email":535,"published_authors_count":99,"published_reviews_count":536},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGameluster-logo.jpg","GameLuster","gameluster","[  \n  'independent',\n  'women_led',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","gameluster.bsky.social","Your source for gaming news, reviews, and features, driven by a passionate crew of diverse gamers and content creators!","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gameluster.com","2025-10-15","2026-04-24T13:42:44.708699","bobby@gameluster.com","jess@gameluster.com","axel@gameluster.com",373,{"id":538,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":539,"author":540,"original_score":545,"normalized_score":68,"review_url":546,"review_date":399,"summary":547,"created_at":548,"updated_at":548,"author_id":541,"last_edited_at":548,"outlet":549},34530,31,{"id":541,"bio":26,"name":542,"avg_score":249,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":543,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":544,"claim_token":26,"article_count":31,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3471,"Jordan Helm","2025-01-13T17:38:29.894356-05:00","2025-02-03T18:42:25.26807-05:00","5.0","https:\u002F\u002Fhardcoregamer.com\u002Freview-balatro\u002F","Wielding nothing more than a deck of cards and a poker-themed twist on proceedings, developer LocalThunk has conjured something incredible and awe-inspiring with Balatro. What starts as a relatively-novel twist on the deckbuilding format quickly blossoms into an experience that's equal parts methodical, experimental, chaotic but satisfying all the same. A game that rewards clever thinking, mathematical meddling and having the courage to be just that bit braver in uncovering just how far one can push its systems at play. Wherein success and failure alike stand as equally memorable moments to build off. A paradigm for what roguelikes and deckbuilders should aspire towards, Balatro is addictive, expertly-crafted and the new front-runner for what is easily the best gaming experience of 2024.","2025-01-15T05:11:48.555586-05:00",{"id":539,"logo":550,"name":551,"slug":552,"tags":133,"bluesky":26,"twitter":553,"youtube":554,"facebook":555,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":556,"website_url":557,"score_format":110,"average_score":213,"default_timezone":51,"last_review_date":558,"stats_updated_at":559,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":560,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":115,"published_reviews_count":561},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FHardcore-Gamer-Logo.jpg","Hardcore Gamer ","hardcore-gamer","HardcoreGamer","HardcoreGamerVideo","Hardcore-Gamer","Follow us for the latest and greatest in video game news, previews, reviews and more. No nonsense, just games.","https:\u002F\u002Fhardcoregamer.com\u002F","2025-07-31","2025-08-25T15:23:50.92109",3,521]