Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker has been infected by Balatro, and the hit roguelike's creator loves it: "It's possibly the most addictive thing ever created"

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Brooker is also playing Ghost of Tsushima and Dave the Diver

Balatro Joker card
(Image credit: Playstack)

The creator of the Black Mirror television series is hooked on Balatro, the roguelike indie hit whose astonishing success led to a million copies sold in just a month.

Charlie Brooker, who wrote the 2013 TV series How Videogames Changed the World and is a noted video game enjoyer, recently told Deadline he's among the legions of people this year who've become enthralled by Balatro.

"This is going to sound so tragic, but right now there’s a game called Balatro," Brooker said. "It’s like poker, and it’s possibly the most addictive thing ever created. It’s currently on Nintendo Switch and Steam deck, but it’s going to be released on phones, and at that point I think humankind’s activity is going to drop about 25%. I play that in short bursts when I’m writing to reward myself. I do like Ghost of Tsushima and Dave the Diver too, but there’s loads more."

First of all, Brooker, there is nothing tragic about playing a great indie game, and secondly I'm going to have to 'well actually' you and remind everyone that Balatro is also on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One as well. That said, Balatro, Ghost of Tsushima, and Dave the Diver is a trifecta of greatness that shows you have excellent taste in video games. Like, if you were stuck on an island with only three games to play for the rest of your life, that would be a really solid selection.

Naturally, Balatro creator LocalThunk took to Twitter to share his enthusiasm over Brooker's comments, reacting with a devious smile that suggests he's happy to be taking over the world with his poker-themed roguelike. 

Balatro can't be sold to any gambling companies or casinos even after its creator dies, because its solo dev is so against that idea they've written it into their will.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.