Balatro (Steam/PS5/Xbox Series X/Switch)

[Nu-Eclipse]

*snip*

The whole irony with the ridiculous "Will Balatro be way too addictive for me/induce me into real-life gambling??" argument is that it wouldn't nearly be as popular as it is if it was about actual proper poker.

[Nu-Eclipse]

My son is griping at me for Balatro, but it's 18-rated in the UK, but less elsewhere.
Plus the Devs have banned any casinos from making Balatroesque gambling machines.

Is it fine for me to get for him or is it hella addictive and before we know it, he'll be one of them old geezers you see in the bookies playing the fruit machines in between every dog and horse race they show?

FFS CHIMP. STOP MAKING LAME EXCUSES AND JUST BUY THE GODDAMN GAME ALREADY!!

[hudson]

The game really does not make you good at traditional poker at all. it uses poker hand types to score. You will be dealt a fairly large hand of card and it is up to you to make a scoring hand out of the cards drawn out in front of you. You will have a target score to hit so you can progress and so you want to aim for hi-scoring hands like say a Flush (all cards same suit) etc. The twist comes in the Jokers you can acquire by opening boost packs (at a small cost). This is the RNG factor (just like Vampire Survivors and any other Rogue-Lite). Jokers can do crazy things to your scoring hand (multiplay the scoring etc). Basically this is the main premise. There are booster packs that give Jokers, level up you hand scoring ie you can level up Flush hand scoring (from here you might start planning on just going for Flushes for a while to fly through some early stages)

It really is just a innocent Rogue-Lite game. But yeah, people see playing cards on the screen and (understandably) think "oooh gambling?" Could it make a paerson who has played a lot of Balatro think that in some point in the future when they are for some reason invited to a real poker game, and that person thinks "yes I am well versed in poker, I played the shiz out of Balatro" - this person will leave the poker joint in just their undies. That's probably the only scenario where this game makes someone play the game for real, but Im sure they will learn fast that these games are very different.

[QualityChimp]

My son is griping at me for Balatro, but it's 18-rated in the UK, but less elsewhere.
Plus the Devs have banned any casinos from making Balatroesque gambling machines.

Is it fine for me to get for him or is it hella addictive and before we know it, he'll be one of them old geezers you see in the bookies playing the fruit machines in between every dog and horse race they show?

[Nu-Eclipse]

You've unlocked way more than me, Balatro addict! (8% stake deck wins)

I've done each stake but only on a spread of decks.

I'm busy working on other formats...

->Open Spoiler<-

Send help

I love the way you just edited that!

Yes, at least I haven't (YET) resorted to buying Balatro on other systems!!

Need my physical copy of MvC Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics to come soon so I have an excuse to avoid Balatro for a bit!

[hudson]

You've unlocked way more than me, Balatro addict! (8% stake deck wins)

I've done each stake but only on a spread of decks.

I'm busy working on other formats...

->Open Spoiler<-

Send help

[Nu-Eclipse]

Not all of us are totally Balatro-dependent like YOU....I think...erm...

But seriously, Purple Stake (and the fact that I STILL haven't quite unlocked everything - at 97% currently) has burned me out a bit - those increased scales got intense and messed with my head!

I need me a bit of time off from Balatro before I attempt to tackle Orange Stake.

[hudson]

Definitely taking a break from Balatro now!

Anaglyph Deck / Purple Stake done done!

Seed: YMXIDR9M

[Nu-Eclipse]

Definitely taking a break from Balatro now!

Anaglyph Deck / Purple Stake done done!

Seed: YMXIDR9M

[Nu-Eclipse]

....but I've somehow skipped over Anaglyph Deck / Purple Stake....AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

[Nu-Eclipse]

I believe in you

Challenge Deck / Fragile complete

Seed: K6XDBLDA

Thank you for believing in me.

Finally got it done. Never wanna play Plasma Deck/Purple Stake EVER again.

Orange Stake up next. Time for another Balatro break, methinks.

Plasma Deck / Purple Stake done.

Seed: RQ23JVYG

[hudson]

Getting reamed by Plasma Deck / Purple Stake at present.

I believe in you

Challenge Deck / Fragile complete

Seed: K6XDBLDA

[Nu-Eclipse]

Getting reamed by Plasma Deck / Purple Stake at present.

[hudson]

Challenge Deck / Bram Poker complete

Seed: X5W4R96T

[hudson]

Challenge Deck / Inflation complete

Seed: 4D9RTXYA