Summary
Balatro, 2024’s latest viral hit, is currently unavailable in digital stores of certain consoles due to a new ratings issue. Those who already ownBalatroshould be unaffected, according to the game’s publisher.
Balatrowas released on February 20and quickly took the gaming world by storm. It brought a new twist to the roguelike deck-building genre by drawing inspiration from poker, as users create real-life poker hands combined with unique cards that come with special abilities.Balatro’s distinctive gameplay has proven to be a massive hit, with the game holding a 97% user rating on Steam after more than 10,000 reviews. However, the Poker-inspired game recently ran into its first obstacle.
Balatro’s publisher, Playstack Games, posted a tweet explaining the game’s recent issues.Balatro’s removal from a variety of digital stores is due to a ratings board unexpectedly changing the game’s rating from 3+ to 18+, citing an apparently incorrect belief thatBalatro"contains prominent gambling imagery" and “instructs about gambling.” Playstack pushed against this claim by explaining thatBalatro’s developer took extra caution to ensure that the game contains no gambling mechanics of any kind. Playstack further explained that the same ratings board assured the publisher back in October thatBalatrocontained no gambling themes and that the board agreed with a 3+ rating. However, since then, the ratings board has clearly gone back on that stance.
Balatro Removed From Some Digital Stores
Playstack reassuredBalatrofansthat the game will remain on Steam and all PC stores and that existing users should not experience any issues. The publisher also detailed that it’s working hard to getBalatroback on sale for all platforms. Playstack did not offer a timeline for when the issue will be resolved, but it did mention that the game may return with a temporary 18+ rating.
Thanks toBalatro’s Joker mechanicand other creative features, the game continues to balloon in popularity. Its current rating of 92 on OpenCritic makes it the second-highest-rated game of the year, only beaten by the recently releasedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. However, interested console fans might have to wait a bit untilBalatrois available to purchase again.
In the meantime, fans can check out thebest roguelike deck-building gameson the market. There are plenty of options to choose from, withSlay the Spirebeing an especially tempting choice.Slay the Spireis still available on Game Pass and features fair, skillful, and rewarding gameplay. Other games similar toBalatroincludeDicey Dungeons,Inscryption: Kaycee’s Mod, and more.
Balatro
WHERE TO PLAY
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder all about creating powerful synergies and winning big.The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you can get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory
