Balatro Doubling Its Player Count After Surprise GOTY Nomination

Released in February 2024, Balatro ranks among this year’s surprise hits. This deckbuilding roguelike has soared on Steam after its unexpected Game of the Year nomination at the next Game Awards.

Each year, the GOTY is a heated topic of debate among gaming circles. This year’s nominees fueled even more controversy than ever before, prompting discussions about whether The Game Awards were rigged from the outset. While little doubt was left that triple-A titles like Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Astro Bot would make the shortlist for gaming’s top prize, another contender took the gaming world by surprise. Released without much fuss in early 2024, Balatro may look out of place among heavy hitters such as Black Myth: Wukong or Metaphor ReFantazio. The nomination of this poker roguelike even caused an uproar among gamers outraged to see it beat fan-favorite titles like Stellar Blade or Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

However, just as many gamers were intrigued by this unforeseen turn of events – to the extent that Balatro has doubled its player count on Steam following the announcement of its GOTY nomination. Oblivious to the saying that curiosity killed the cat, these inquisitive players have flocked to the online platform to see what the hype was about. In late November, Balatro saw a significant rise in concurrent players, growing from 7,000 to 15,000 Steam players in a matter of days.

Likewise, this indie hit has experienced a sudden spike in interest on mobile. Overturning a sharp decline throughout October, Balatro has recorded a recent spending surge to cross the $4 million mark in gross revenue. Speaking to Polycon, publisher Playstack did not comment on these sales numbers but confirmed the game’s daily active players had seen a “significant spike” since the GOTY news broke.

Sure enough, these numbers are a far cry from Balatro’s early performances. Ported to mobile platforms on September 26, this poker-themed roguelike made a whopping $1 million in its kickoff week, according to AppMagic. On Steam, it reached an impressive 38,000-player peak nine months ago. After launching to glowing reviews, one of the surprise smash hits of 2024 sold over 500,000 units in 10 days across all platforms – catching even its developer off-guard.

Canadian creator LocalThunk revealed in an interview that he started Balatro as a fun little side project to work on during the few weeks of vacation he had to burn. The solo dev said on X the project was initially aimed at himself and his friends. Three years later, this deckbuilding phenomenon has earned five nominations at The Game Awards – coming in a close second to front-runners Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, which boasts seven nominations each. Following the breakout news, the artist confessed to Polygon that it felt like “winning the game developer lottery.”

Balatro follows the lead of many recent titles that have rejuvenated the card gaming genre. From Inscryption to Griftlands and Aces & Adventures, several titles have reshuffled the cards with their clever gameplay mechanics and innovative story direction. Arguably, these creative entries have also built new momentum for platforms offering online card games like blackjack, baccarat, or poker.

On top websites, gamers can even find many slots to play for fun for free alongside tabletop games. They can access thousands of thematically diverse machine slots without registration or download required. New users can benefit from exclusive bonuses like sign-up offers and free spins to kickstart their iGaming journey. Claiming welcome packages and promotions, they can discover card-themed options like Ace of Spades, Joker Cards, or 10 Spins while they wait to see whether Balatro will bag the GOTY title at this year’s Game Awards.

The competition will likely be heated in the Game of the Year section, with Team Asobi’s Astro Bot leading the race among many bookmarkers and observers. However, this indie success story can tilt the odds in its favor in categories like Best Indie Game and Best Debut Indie. Balatro may also snatch the award for Best Game Direction, given its unique score system and addictive design – so addictive indeed that millions of gamers have sunk hours into this adrenaline-pumping poker-inspired experience, perhaps even easier to pick up and play than most other nominees. The game’s ever-growing fanbase will have to wait until December 12 to find out if Balatro can beat the odds and be crowned GOTY at the tenth edition of the gaming show hosted in Los Angeles by Geoff Keighley.