Card games are nothing new, having preceded video games by hundreds of years. Video games about playing cards are also nothing new. However, Balatro is a new twist on the concept that applies some video game-specific twists to the game of poker.

First, for those not familiar with poker, it's a card game that uses a 52-card deck of cards from numbers 2-10, with "face" suits of Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces. These come in suits of Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs respectively. There are many variants of this classic game, with many different rulesets. The one used by the title of this review is a modified form of seven-card draw poker. The player is dealt seven cards and must choose to discard some cards for others or pick a winning hand from the initial cards if possible. There are a limited number of discard chances and each game must be won within a set number of hands, or turns. Balataro allows for the use of the Joker card, which is considered a "Wild" card, or a card that can be anything else needed to achieve a winning hand in combination with the other cards.

With this in mind, Balatro has its own unique ideas. The Joker cards can held up to a number of five in a special reserve space, and are not played, but rather serve as modifiers to the other cards. The "Planet" and "Tarot" cards are also used as temporary modifiers at the start of each hand to apply certain effects. The poker variant rules include betting on virtual chips, and the player must win a certain number of chips within a set number of hands to advance to the next round. The game campaign increasingly ups the limit of chips needed, requiring the player to play more and more to beat all rounds possible carefully. In between rounds, the player is assigned a set number of dollars (in United States Dollar denominations) to purchase Joker, Planet, or Tarot cards from a rotating available list in a shop. These cards can have various effects, such as boosting the amount of chips earned by hand, multiplying the value of certain card combinations, and so on.

What makes this game interesting is the randomness element. On top of the random modifier cards purchasable in-between rounds, some rounds can have modifiers making certain cards have no value, which increases the challenge of scoring winning hands. The player must start a new campaign if they fail to keep up with the increasing difficulty, so a legitimate degree of skill and luck are needed to progress consistently.

Graphically, this has a retro style, with hand-drawn playing cards with a pixel art motif. This game is quite colorful and also features a faux-CRT monitor overlay, making it look like an early video game as would be seen on a CRT monitor.

Sounds and music are rather minimalistic. Aside from ambient background music and some sounds for shuffling cards, this game is rather light in the audio department. Given the casual setting and the fact the player would likely want to concentrate on the game itself, this works for Balatro well. On the other hand, nothing really stands out either.

This game can be played with a keyboard and mouse or with any Steam-supported controller. Neither scheme has remappable keys, but the basic controls for both are quite simple. The game has a patient tutorial to walk the player through the basics of play which is quick and easy to learn as well.

Balatro is a remarkably stable game. it runs natively on Windows and will run out of the box on Linux via Steam Proton. It also natively supports macOS. It is Verified for play on the Steam Deck as well. Requirements are incredibly modest to the point if you can use an operating system, this will run fine. Touch controls are natively support on Android and iOS. Unofficial mods exist to allow this for the PC versions as well.

It bears mentioning Balatro has several modes, some only unlocked after completing certain requirements. It has randomization and difficulty options to add further replay value. If you are easily bored by card games, this can get repetitive fast, but if you enjoy them, Balatro is likely to be engrossing for hours.

Morally, this game is generally safe for all ages. It does, however, simulate gambling, as is the idea it's based on, and for those with gambling addictions, we do urge proper caution.

The use of "tarot" cards has nothing to do with the occult or divination, as Tarot cards are often associated with in the modern day. Balatro uses them in the same sense as their original historical form, where they were used for innocent card games, before their adoption for divination or the occult.

Overall, Balatro is a fun twist on the concept of poker and is worth getting, especially for mobile gaming. Technically, it's generally solid. Morally, aside from the simulation of gambling, it is safe for all ages. The price is far from unreasonable and it often goes on sale. If you are a card shark and want a good on-the-go game for that purpose, Balatro is a fine choice, especially if you are a poker fan.