Balatro Creator Surprised by Game's Grand Success

In 2024, the indie game Balatro, crafted by the solo developer known as LocalThunk, emerged as a monumental success, selling over 5 million copies and becoming a standout hit in the gaming industry. The game's unexpected triumph led to it winning multiple awards at The Game Awards 2024, a feat neither the players nor LocalThunk himself had anticipated.

Initially, LocalThunk had modest expectations for Balatro, predicting review scores around 6-7 due to its unconventional concept. However, the game received a stunning 91 from PC Gamer, followed by similarly high scores from other critics, propelling it to an impressive 90 points on both Metacritic and OpenCritic. LocalThunk was taken aback by this response, admitting he would have personally rated his creation no higher than 8 points.

The publisher, Playstack, significantly contributed to the game's success through proactive engagement with the press prior to its release. Yet, it was the power of word-of-mouth that truly propelled Balatro to exceed sales forecasts by a staggering 10-20 times. The game sold 119,000 copies within the first 24 hours of its Steam launch, a moment LocalThunk described as the most surreal of his life.

Despite the overwhelming success, LocalThunk humbly acknowledged that he has no universal formula to share with other indie developers, emphasizing the unique and unpredictable nature of Balatro's journey to the top.