How a card game Balatro reached Game of the Year nomination? Developer finds it “completely surreal”

Balatro earned five nominations including the most acclaimed Game of the Year category. The developer of the game has responded to it being “completely surreal”

The Game Awards nomination announcement marks a notable achievement for the indie card-based roguelike game Balatro. The developer behind the game, Localthunk, described it as “a really surreal day.” in a Reddit post.

Furthermore, Localthunk believes that the  “game just happens to be the current face of this beautiful and passionate corner of the industry” crediting the success to the indie game community.

Balatro’s nomination became a controversy alongside Elden Ring’s DLC

This year’s nominations for the equivalent of the Oscars of the gaming world have been unique. The main reason is the allowance of DLC and expansion packs.

Although it was predictable that Elden Ring DLC’s nomination would become a controversy in the gaming world, many people are also not getting the reason for Balatro among the 6 titles of GOTY. They believe other games like Stellar Blade and Silent Hill 2 remake stood a better chance under this category than these two games.

I decided to check out Balatro as it was the only Game of the Year nominee I'd not played yet

Holy macaroni this little poker roguelike is more dangerous than drugs. My productivity has been destroyed today pic.twitter.com/DFS8LRQFQr

— I Finished A Video Game (@IFinishedAGame) November 19, 2024

Apparently, it’s the game’s addictive nature that makes it stand out. The players are engaged in a rewarding gameplay loop which includes skill, strategy, and luck. Many critics have also praised it for the same reason.

Balatro crossed $710,000 in total gross mobile earnings with 71k downloads

Balatro was launched earlier in 2024. It was widely acclaimed for its innovative gameplay with its blend of poker mechanics and roguelike elements. The players have to use high-stakes strategies to navigate the unpredictability of the random outcomes. This gives the game depth making it replayable which attracted the fanbase spread across different platforms.

On September 26th, Balatro had its mobile launched fueling its popularity.  According to Appmagic stats, it generated a significant revenue of $500,000 within a week.

With a price of $9.99, the game surpassed big titles like Minecraft as a topper on iOS and Android charts across the US, UK, and Australia.  In the first week, it crossed $710,000 in total gross mobile earnings with 71k downloads.

The Balatro+ version for Apple Arcade also performed as the Top Arcade Game. On this platform, developers are rewarded through a bonus pool payments feature by Apple depending on player engagement and retention.

The game received four other nominations: Best Game Direction, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game.

The developer of Balatro has shared the importance of supporting lesser-known independent games in his message to the fans. The message stated, “go support an indie.”

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