Balatro is one of those games that passed me by. Not because it’s bad, but because I have no idea how to play card games. It was a couple of months ago that it was revealed that Balatro had sold a whopping 3.5 million copies, which is a stellar performance for a game pieced together by a solo developer.
Recently, it was announced that Balatro will be landing on the Game Pass subscription service. To usher in this addition to the library of games, the ‘Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4)’ reveal was dropped, showcasing a series of cosmetic collaborations including Assassin’s Creed, Slay the Princess, and most importantly, Fallout.
Time to Learn
If you know me, you’ll know I’m dizzy for the Fallout franchise. I’m a die-hard fan with thousands of hours invested across the series. When I first played Fallout 3 in 2008, it introduced me to a veritable feast of post-apocalyptic potential that became a burning adoration for the genre and setting.
Balatro, on the other hand, never took my fancy. It was released just over a year ago to an overwhelmingly positive reception, but I never saw the attraction simply because I know flat-nothing about card games.
To herald the arrival of Balatro on the Game Pass service, a trailer was released showcasing the Friends of Jimbo (Pack 4) DLC, a cosmetic crossover featuring iconic imagery from some of the biggest and boldest franchises ever made.
To cut a long story short, there’s a cosmetic card upgrade featuring Fallout’s Vault Boy character, which you can see in the below trailer.
And just like that, my curiosity is piqued and I have some connection to the chart-topping indie game that has won stacks of awards.
It helps that I’m also a huge Assassin’s Creed fan, and having Ezio Auditore on a card face has me eager to secure the pack and find out what all the fuss is about.
Recently, Balatro’s solo developer won a PEGI ratings appeal, months after the game was classified as a game for adults because of the ‘promotion of gambling’. The developer, LocalThunk, also teased the impending ‘1.1’ update for the game, which is being kept under wraps until it’s the right time to reveal what’s coming.
Do you rate Balatro as one of the best indie games to emerge in years? In 2024, it was the Insider Gaming community’s Indie Game of the Year.
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A roguelite deck builder made by one guy almost wins game of the year, but it takes a fallout cosmetic for one suit of cards to get you to play? Are you a games elitist or just boring?