Balatro's Creator Didn't Expect the Game to Be a Hit

Summary

LocalThunk was shocked by the game’s commercial success, earning $600,000 in revenue within hours of its release.
The creator recapped Balatro’s journey in a blog post, offering a closer look at its development and launch.
Balatro’s unexpected success led to over 5 million copies sold and multiple awards, including Best Independent Game.

Balatro‘s massive success came as a surprise to its creator, LocalThunk, who expected the game to be just for “a few of my friends,” revealing that it was a “surreal” experience for him to see random people purchasing the game. LocalThunk has recently shared details about his experience during Balatro’s development and launch, offering fans a more personal look at its creation.

Balatro was released on February 20, 2024, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and it was an instant success. This poker-inspired roguelike deck-building indie game offers an interesting blend where players need to build decks by playing poker hands while defeating enemies in the process. In addition to Balatro’s commercial success, reaching more than five million copies sold, it received many awards, including Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024. Now, the creator has shared with fans a closer look at his experience during this journey.

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LocalThunk revealed in a blog post that the day Balatro came out was the “most surreal day of my life.” According to his words, the launch was 10-20 times larger than what he expected, saying the numbers “made no sense” to him. “This was meant for just a few of my friends, and yet somehow all these strangers chose to buy it,” he wrote. Balatro’s instant commercial success led to $600,000 in revenue just a couple of hours after its release, which LocalThunk admitted was far more money than he had made in his entire life.

Balatro Creator Earned More in Hours After Launch Than He Had in His Entire Life

The details LocalThunk shares on the blog begin on December 13, 2021, the day he created the first folder in his directory where the project that would eventually become Balatro was located. Like entries in a journal, he documented month by month until the release date of the game. Although LocalThunk didn’t expect Balatro to gain such impressive popularity, there were a few signs that suggested it would have a solid start. For instance, the game was steadily being wishlisted on Steam month by month, reaching 208,401 wishlists a couple of hours before its launch. Moreover, the game had been the most played during the Next Fest festival, with many streamers and YouTubers covering the game.

This was meant for just a few of my friends, and yet somehow all these strangers chose to buy it.

Throughout 2024, the game’s popularity grew even further, and in October, its total playtime across all platforms was equal to 11,000 years. LocalThunk continues to work on the game, and in December, he released Balatro‘s Friends of Jimbo 3 update, introducing 8 new card skins. As of right now, Balatro has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, and LocalThunk has had incredible success.