As we saw yesterday, the famous Balatro will soon be launched on Apple Arcade, at the end of the month alongside a certain NBA 2K25. Players not subscribed to the service were disappointed, but the studio LocalThunk and the publisher Playstack announced that in addition to the “+” version, Balatro will also arrive on the App Store in a premium version. Excellent news after the officialization of its port last spring.
The story of Balatro
The roguelike Balatroinspired by poker, has sold over 2 million copies across PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, and Steam in less than six months. The game will arrive on mobile on September 26, with a major update planned for 2025 to add new strategies. For the record, its launch on consoles and PC was rocky, with Balatro briefly banned due to a PEGI classification error, going from 3+ to 18+ due to its thematic ties to gambling.
If you haven’t played it before, Balatro is an addictive card game that combines elements of poker and solitaire, allowing you to create powerful combos and use wild cards to defeat bosses. With over 150 wild cards, special items, and multiple game modes, it offers an original experience, accompanied by a detailed and polished pixel art style.
Watch the mobile version video:
Our opinion on Balatro
As explained previously, Balatro is a little gem that fully deserves its success.
Balatro stands out with cleverly designed cards, unique graphics, and a catchy soundtrack that sticks in your head. Accessible while offering strategic depth for experienced players, this game manages to captivate with a complete gameplay (thanks to wild cards, modifiers, and challenges), like the best roguelikes. It relies on the simplicity of poker, while integrating complex mechanics that bring an unsuspected depth at first. Even accessibility has been perfectly thought out.
Moreover, LocalThunk has announced upcoming updates to rebalance the game and possibly add new wildcards. The publisher Playstack also plans to develop merchandising, including physical card games based on Balatrodemonstrating that the economic model is already well in place.
Release date on iOS
You can pre-order Balatro on the App Store for iOS and pre-register on Android via the Play Store. The Apple Arcade version “Balatro+” will be launched on the same day, September 26. It costs €10, compared to €15 on Steam (Mac compatible).
