Steam’s having its big summer sale — you know, one of those wallet-threatening events. So, Balatro’s on discount, and take my word (yeah, I’m trustworthy, I think) — grab it, no matter the markdown. A true no-brainer.
Now, I’m not exactly a poker whiz — couldn’t spot a flush if it hit me in the face. But, Pokémon TCG? Ask me anything. Anyway, Balatro caught my eye after sweeping some major awards in 2024. Imagine this: a card-based roguelike letting you mess with poker rules like some kind of card deity. Solo dev LocalThunk (what a name, right?) cooked this up, and it just blew up — like, BOOM — in Feb 2024. Reviews went nuts, gameplay went viral, and hey, if it’s 3 a.m., who cares? Balatro’s everywhere now — consoles, PC, even your phone. It’s inescapable.
I was itching to try it and ended up torching my whole three-month Apple Arcade trial. Balatro+, some iOS-exclusive variant, sucked me right in. Short sprints, long marathons — didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop. Ended up buying it on multiple platforms because logic took a vacation.
Three months flew by, my “free” Arcade subscription was more paid than free. So, forked out $9.99 for the standalone app, terrified my progress would vanish into the digital abyss. Surprise! It transferred beautifully. But soon, PlayStation Plus tossed it in for May, and I was back to square one. Clean slate, new platform.
Then came the MacBook Air. Besides Baldur’s Gate 3 sessions (which is a story for another day), I wanted Balatro action on it too. Guess what? My paid version? Useless here. Needed Arcade subscription for Balatro+. So once more into the Steam breach I went. Classic double-dipping.
Now, I’m at a weird crossroads. Unlocking every chip with the tricky red and blue Anaglyph deck? Yeah, my rage-quitting skills are honed. But it’s like the game has this magnetic hold on me. Even the developer had a meltdown during the last push — kinda feel for the guy. Only now did he hit 100% completion.
Let’s be real, though. Balatro jumps to another platform? I’ll be right there. Because, you know, I’m a glutton for punishment. Or maybe just love a chaotic card game. Whatever.
