Balatro
One day in February, I was living my life unaware of Balatro A few days later, I already know it’ll have an entry on my personal game of the year list. I love a good surprise and Balatro is exactly that. The way this roguelike deckbuilder mixes poker with weird powerups and magic is pure bliss. It’s the kind of game that just lodges itself inside your brain and starts to appear in your dreams. I have to force myself to not play it as I work. It’s challenging.
What helps make this card game so great is how good it feels and looks to play. Every click is matched with a bit of screenshake. The aesthetics, old VHS-like artifacts, and CRT screen effects make it feel like you are playing the game on some old computer haunted by a virus from the Devil himself. So not only is Balatro fun, inventive, and hard to put down, but it also is just a joy to look at and play. It’s a dangerous combo and one that I foresee putting many, many hours into in 2024. — Zack Zwiezen
