Made by a single former information technology worker, a spiced-up version of virtual poker has become the video game surprise hit of the year. “Balatro,” whose developer only goes by the screen name ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet. When Balatro landed one of the extremely coveted Game of ...

In a year filled with massive open world RPGs and AAA live service games with ambitious season passes, it’s incredible that the title that truly captured the hearts (and free time) of players in 2024 ...

When a video game has lots of success right off the bat, sometimes things get weird — strange breakdowns in communication with the audience, for example, or hitches in the code that put people off of ...

This review was previously published during Balatro’s February launch. We’re resurfacing the story in honor of its Game of the Year nomination at The Game Awards. I’m not a poker guy, but I am ...

Jordan is Hardcore Gamer's sole UK-based writer, having followed/covered the video game industry for nearly a decade now. Specializing in reviews, previews and editorial content covering a breadth of ...

Poker has endured as a popular and immensely enjoyable card game because of how malleable it is. The purest form of poker is predominantly played in your hand, with you deciding on cards to discard ...

We loved Balatro so much, we just had to write more about it. First of all, Balatro just feels nice on a handheld device. It's the kind of game that you can play passively while watching TV or ...

LocalThunk's Balatro arguably became the defining indie game of 2024, chewing through its players' available hours with a novel yet incredibly deep roguelike spin on playing poker hands. The game ...

Balatro is the poker-themed deck builder that could well be one of the sleeper hits of 2024. It sold 250,000 copies in its first 72 hours on sale, according to its developers, and it’s still hovering ...

Vlad Mazanko is Ukraine-based gaming enthusiast, writing about the industry since 2013 and covering everything from games and studios to movies and TV shows. He joined the Valnet family back in 2021, ...

There are some games that keep you entertained for a weekend. Some keep you busy for an hour on a weeknight after failing to settle on what new Netflix documentary to watch next. But then, every so ...