If you've been keeping up with gaming news over the past few months, you won't be shocked to hear that LocalThunk's innovative blend of solitaire, roguelike, and deck builder, Balatro, has now surpassed an impressive five million sales across all platforms. Since its launch, Balatro has not only received widespread acclaim from both critics and gamers but has also clinched multiple prestigious awards, especially in its mobile version.
While it's easy to compare these numbers to other titles with higher download and player counts, it's crucial to highlight two significant aspects: first, Balatro is a project developed by a single individual, and second, all these sales are premium, benefiting both the developer and publisher Playstack directly.
This milestone is particularly remarkable. Although we don't have the exact breakdown of mobile sales, the last reported figure in December was 3.5 million, meaning an additional 1.5 million sales have been added since then, primarily from its mobile run.
**Place your bets** - While it might be an overstatement to label Balatro as the definitive indie breakthrough for mobile gaming, given the plethora of other exceptional releases on the platform, it's undeniable that Balatro stands out as one of the most high-profile successes. This is especially noteworthy considering the journey Balatro has taken to achieve such popularity. The game continues to evolve with crossover updates, and it will be interesting to see how it performs in terms of long-term sales.
This success raises an important question: Will Balatro's achievements boost confidence among both casual mobile players and industry professionals in promoting indie games on mobile platforms? We certainly hope so.
If you're interested in our take on Balatro, feel free to check out our review to understand why it earned a stellar five-star rating.