Balatro has been unquestionably one of the year’s best PC games and among its biggest breakout hits, rivaling highs such as Palworld, Helldivers 2, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree with its complete dominance of the conversation. If you love the way it adapts the deck-building roguelike format of games like Slay the Spire to the classic poker hands we all know and love, new card game Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers does something very similar but with blackjack, and it comes with a seal of approval from Balatro’s creator.
Stepping into a tavern filled with blackjack grifters, you’ll find a twisted version of the card-based classic. In Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, you go head-to-head in blackjack-driven battles. Score higher than your opponent to damage them, but go bust and your total is marked down to zero. As you progress through the rounds of this roguelike game, you’ll filter your deck, removing, swapping, and adding cards to hone your strategy much like you would in Balatro.
Rather than the joker system offered by that game, however, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers is much more focused on the cards in your actual deck. Each suit comes with a benefit that triggers on a winning blackjack – hearts offer healing, spades give some protection, clubs deal extra damage, and diamonds award more currency that you can spend on upgrades and additional cards.
Beyond that, you’ll find all manner of other effects and bonus cards to further augment your potential for success. The Queen of Chess, for example, can be moved to your opponent’s side by spending an ‘advantage’ point, where it’s locked in place for a full round. Killer Queen, meanwhile, will burn away one of your opponent’s cards. You’ll also find negative cards that lower your score, and Tarot cards with special effects – and yes, you can absolutely spin the Wheel of Fortune here too.
If you need any more convincing, I’ll let Balatro’s esteemed solo developer ‘LocalThunk’ do the talking. “Not only does this game get the Diamond Thunk seal of approval,” they write, “but this is your reminder that Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers went public before Balatro and was also made by a solo dev. So hyped for [launch].” As a big Balatro enjoyer, I’ll certainly be diving in, and the time is nigh to do just that.
Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers is out now on Steam. priced at $14.99 / £12.79, wtih a 10% discount through Thursday August 22 meaning you’ll pay only $13.49 / £11.51 right now. Just head here to dive in and get started.
With more than 250 cards to discover, 60 opponents to take on, and a deliciously grimy design, it offers, in the words of its creator, “All the degeneracy from a seedy casino but with no risk to your finances, mental health, or your loved ones.” We can’t make any promises about your free time, however.
Alternatively, shuffle through more of the best card games on PC for plenty more great deals. Or dig for more buried treasure with the best indie games in 2024 instead.
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