Report updated Apr 3, 2026
Balatro
v1.3Strategy gamers and fans of deck-building roguelikes who enjoy high-replayability, challenging puzzles, and retro-inspired aesthetics.
What Is Balatro?
Launched Sep 26, 2024
Updated Dec 2025
What users think iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
What does it look like?
What are the key features?
A unique fusion of traditional poker mechanics with roguelike deck-building and rule-twisting elements.
Over 150 unique Joker cards that provide special powers and enable powerful, game-changing combos.
Remastered interface specifically designed for intuitive play on mobile touch screens.
Includes both a structured Campaign mode and a high-stakes Challenge mode.
Hand-crafted pixel art style featuring CRT-style visual effects for a retro atmosphere.
What's new?
Mixed SignalsThe iOS price point was reverted to $9.99, and new technical stability issues have emerged, negatively impacting the sentiment score.
iOS Price Reversion
The premium purchase price on iOS was increased from $6.99 back to $9.99.
New Technical Complaints
Users are reporting new issues with game crashes during high-scoring runs and inconsistent touch/Apple Pencil input.
Sentiment Score Decrease
The sentiment score dropped from 78 to 72, likely driven by the emergence of new technical bugs.
Updated SWOT Analysis
Added specific technical weaknesses (crashes, input inconsistency) and updated threats to include competition from other premium ports.
What do users think? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
“Recent user voice shows a excited sentiment. Users appreciate high replayability and addictiveness and value for money, but report progress saving and sync issues and technical bugs and performance.”
What Users Love
This game is insanely replayable your just always playing without getting bored
I’ve unironically have spent hundreds of hours playing this
No upselling, no expansion packs, no in-app-purchases - just a great game at a good price
Pain Points
I keep beating a green stake and it won’t save properly
Unlocks do not save on iOS. It feels hit or miss
Apple Pencil and touch controls are now a bit inconsistent
Game continuously crashing when you score NanInf
High confidence · 148 reviews available
How is it ranked?📉 Declining
Balatro is losing ground — dropping ranks in recent chart updates.
| Category | Chart | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card | Paid | #2 | |
| Strategy | Paid | #3 | |
| Games | Paid | #6 | |
| Overall | Paid | #8 | ▲1 |
| Card | Grossing | #87 | ▲7 |
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
- Exceptional 4.96 user rating with nearly 100k ratings
- Unique 'Poker-Roguelike' mechanic providing a strong market moat
- Award-winning 'Game of the Year' branding
- High-quality, touch-optimized UI/UX
Cons
- Critical bugs in cloud-save and progress tracking
- Inconsistent Apple Pencil support
- Crashes during high-performance (NanInf) scoring runs
What is the market outlook?
Growth Opportunities
- Fixing cloud-sync to improve long-term player retention
- Introducing cross-progression with PC/Console versions
- Expanding the 'Try Before You Buy' model to other regions/platforms
Market Threats
- Fast-following clones in the poker-roguelike niche
- Negative review trends if save-bugs are not addressed immediately
- Competition from other premium indie game ports
What are the key takeaways?
Balatro is a exciting games app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 5.0/5 rating from 98.9K reviews, it excites its users from users. Users particularly appreciate high replayability and addictiveness, though progress saving and sync issues remains a common concern.
Best for: Strategy gamers and fans of deck-building roguelikes who enjoy high-replayability, challenging puzzles, and retro-inspired aesthetics.
How much does it cost?
Model: freemium
Utilizes a premium-first model on iOS while leveraging a 'try-before-you-buy' approach on Android to lower the barrier to entry for a high-acclaim title.
iOS Version
1.3
Android Version
1.6
Release Date
Sep 26, 2024
iOS Price
$9.99
Android Price
Free
Developer
Playstack Ltd