Balatro

Hey it's that card game everyone loves! Including me.

Balatro is... kinda a poker roguelike, I guess? That's how I've heard others describe it and I can't think of a better way that isn't just outright going into specifics. Instead of enemies, there's just a number blind (score) that you need to reach before you run out of hands. Boss blinds have a little gimmick to keep you on your toes, but otherwise it's fairly straight forward.

I do wish there was more variety in "opponents", though. I mean, on the one hand simplicity is one it's strongest points, but on the other hand I just kinda would like a little bit more going on? Incredibly small complaint, and I'm definitely enjoying it regardless.

To help you get higher and higher scores, your main thing is Jokers. There's a bunch of jokers that each give a unique effect, like bonus score on certain hands or changing the rules to help you out. There's 150 jokers available, and you typically have 5 spaces so there's a good amount of ways you can shape your playstyle. Other ways are consumables, and various card effects that can also do more than just increase score.

One thing I want to mention is that the way it manages "postgame" is great. Once you've completed ante 8, it counts as a win no matter what and the scores needed after that go up exponentally. So each ante you reach feels like an accomplishment and it's doesn't take too long either. Completing an ante with scientific notaciation especially feels good.