The creator of Balatro did not expect such a grand success for his game
LocalThunk, a solo developer working under the pseudonym, achieved a remarkable feat in 2024 with their indie game, Balatro. Selling over 5 million copies, Balatro unexpectedly became a massive hit, shaking the gaming industry and earning multiple awards at The Game Awards 2024. This success far surpassed even the creator's and players' expectations.
Initially, LocalThunk anticipated modest reviews, predicting a score in the 6-7 range given the game's unconventional concept. However, a glowing 91 from PC Gamer, followed by similarly positive reviews from other critics, propelled Balatro to a Metacritic and OpenCritic score of 90. This was a complete surprise to LocalThunk, who admitted they would have personally rated the game an 8 at most.
Playstack, the publisher, contributed significantly to the game's success through proactive press engagement before launch. Yet, the true catalyst was word-of-mouth marketing. This organic buzz resulted in sales exceeding initial projections by a factor of 10 to 20. The first 24 hours on Steam alone saw 119,000 copies sold—an experience the developer described as utterly surreal.
The overwhelming success of Balatro has left its creator without a simple formula for other indie developers to replicate.
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