Smartphone gamers better count their days because Balatro is getting its mobile release this month and it’s known to evoke an addiction-like daze over everyone who plays it. Well addiction might be an exaggeration, but the unique poker roguelike game has captivated its players ever since it was released in February. Developed by LocalThunk and published by Playstack, the game has had fans pining over it in hopes of a smartphone release.
Initially, this appeared unlikely after the game was briefly banned from game stores, but the developer confirmed that the game would receive an iPhone and Android release during an AMA session on Reddit. On September 5, Playstack released an abstract trailer reasserting that Balatro’s mobile release was scheduled for September 26, 2024.
Image: Balatro out on mobile
Balatro Mobile Release Confirmed—The Joker is Back
The odd and “edgy” trailer used to mark Balatro’s official release on smartphones is just as captivating as we’d expect from the game. From the slinky and suave fonts to the spinning banana shots, the trailer screams quirky in the best way, just like Vampire Survivor’s PlayStation release trailer was last month.
The 51-second trailer only gives us a release date in the last 4 seconds, but if we’ve waited so many months for Balatro’s iOS and Android launch, what’s a few more seconds? If you’re really short on time, the game makers have a condensed, fast-forwarded 10-second trailer, just to give you a sense of having seen it. What’s not to love?
Didn’t have time to watch the trailer for the mobile version yet?
We got you… pic.twitter.com/ziHQI0Bju7
— Balatro (@BalatroGame) September 6, 2024
The game is available to pre-order on iOS and pre-register on Android, and if you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber, you’ll have the game automatically available to you on its release—all you need to do is find it. Just as the trailer suggests, you should get set to win some games and lose some games, all while your productivity crashes through the floor and the Jimbo stonks skyrocket.
I’m just gonna throw this out there, if you’ve been as frustrated with Snap as I have and you want to try something a little different, Balatro is coming to mobile this month and it’s very easy to pick up and play for a few mins at a time, like snap. pic.twitter.com/wvvCXEjCzu
— Peaceful Sea (@peacefulseattv) September 5, 2024
The Balatro developer’s game update has not revealed the price of the experience on the newer platforms yet, but it is currently available on Steam for $14.99 USD, and could follow a similar pricing for its iOS and Android launch.
Balatro iOS/Android Launch Sparks Big Expectations
If you’re not a fan of card games, trust that we weren’t originally, either. Traditional card games often have us bored and ready to give up after a new hour of play, never to be opened again. Certain games have managed to break through that barrier and Balatro happens to be one of them. Supposedly inspired by Luck Be a Landlord and compared to other roguelike deck builders like Roguebook and Slay The Spire, the game has a unique charm of its own.
When the game was released, it reportedly made over $1 million USD within eight hours, a feat that recent releases like Concord could only dream of. The game sold 500,000 copies within the first 10 days and by March 18, the game makers sold 1 million copies. Recently, in August, the game crossed the 2 million mark for the total number of copies sold. One-man developer LocalThunk had expected to sell about 10 copies and return to an IT job, but success found them first. Balatro reached an all-time peak of 37,977 concurrent players on Steam, and that’s only counting the players on a single platform.
Balatro hit a bump on the road to success when it was mistaken for a gambling game and removed from multiple storefronts. The publisher issued a notice clarifying that “Balatro was developed by someone who is staunchly anti-gambling, and painstaking care has been taken to ensure that the game does not feature gambling mechanics of any kind.” Anyone who can play the game will agree that it’s more a strategy game than anything sinister.
Despite the issue, fans kept fawning over the game and they will likely continue to do so with the Balatro mobile release. A whole new category of gamers should soon be able to access the game, increasing its reach. Fans of the game have repeatedly iterated that it would be a perfect fit for mobile, especially considering the convenience of touch controls that many players on the handheld have enjoyed. Add the fact that they’re updating elements of the gameplay in 2025 and returning players should have even more reasons to invest in a new copy.