\n<\/p>\n
Balatro<\/em>, the delightful poker roguelike that\u2019s one of my favorite video games of this year, will be getting a free \u201cmajor gameplay update\u201d in 2025, according to developer LocalThunk<\/a>. The update will \u201cbring new ideas and strategies to the game\u201d and will be released for all platforms (it\u2019s available on Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox), LocalThunk says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Balatro<\/em> launched earlier this year<\/a>, and it\u2019s since become a smash hit thanks to its compelling gameplay loop that will have you saying \u201cjust one more run\u201d until it\u2019s far past your bedtime. While the game involves poker hands, you don\u2019t gamble chips or money \u2014 instead, the goal is to strategically build high-scoring hands through things like discarding cards, modifying your cards, and collecting powerful jokers that have various ways of influencing the game. (LocalThunk says he is so opposed to Balatro<\/em> becoming a true gambling game that, in his will, he stipulated that the franchise could never be sold<\/a> to a gambling company or casino.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The game has now sold 2 million units, LocalThunk says, and it regularly sits in the upper ranks of top-played games on Steam Deck<\/a>. I\u2019ve played Balatro<\/em> most on Switch, but I bought a second copy on Steam so that I could play on Steam Deck, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In addition to the upcoming major update, LocalThunk says there are \u201ca few more announcements in the works that will be revealed over the next couple of months.\u201d The game is also in development for iPhone and Android<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n