Balatro creator in disbelief as the roguelike hit tops mobile sales charts, beating Minecraft and Stardew Valley despite one pesky issue

News
By published

Localthunk reacts to their already-huge game blowing up in a new arena

Balatro Joker card
(Image credit: Playstack)

Balatro's creator can't quite believe that their hit roguelike is dominating sales charts on mobile, even as some small screen players are accidentally swiping their cards into oblivion.

Balatro has been sweeping up praise and money (and, occasionally, my lunch breaks) since its launch earlier this year thanks to an absolutely moreish poker-themed take on a card-based roguelike. It's sold two million copies, bagged a collaboration with The Witcher 3 and Among Us, and finally staked a claim to global productivity with a mobile release. 

The game's creator, who goes only by the online name of localthunk, was definitely not expecting it to top sales charts within mere hours. That's based on a recent tweet from the developer, who apparently didn't realize that their already-popular game would be even more of a hit when you could play on the toilet or train.

On the IOS App Store, Balatro's been stuck atop the 'Top Paid' games chart since its launch, steadily hovering over Minecraft at second place, and some mobile mainstays like Bloons and Heads Up. Meanwhile, on the Google Play Store, Balatro's holding dominance over other traditionally not-mobile hits in the top ten, including Stardew Valley, fellow deck-building roguelike Slay the Spire, and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, at the time of writing.

While a wave of new players are sinking into Balatro's rabbit hole, some are having issues with a certain UI snatg. One Reddit post warns players that accidentally selling Jokers - cards that carry various buffs throughout your run - is easier than it should be. 

BE CAREFUL: Accidentally sold my joker while trying to rearrange it on mobile!! from r/balatro

"I think it would benefit fat-fingered people like myself if the 'Sell' zone was moved over to the right edge of the screen," the post says. "As I was re-arranging my Jokers, my card slightly crossed into the Sell area and sold my Erosion card. It was a little too easy to do when you have 5 Joker."

The comments are filled with people who also want to see the 'Sell' section moved or rejigged into a button instead. Localthunk has been consistently updating Balatro for months, and a new version of the game was bound to have teething issues, so there's no reason to think an issue like this will stick around for long.

The roguelike that was Balatro’s “largest influence” has had its own “minor sales spike” thanks to the hit indie’s mobile release. 

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.