Balatro has sold over 3.5 million copies

Roguelike indie card game Balatro has sold over 3.5 million copies. 

The game’s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared the news and joked about the title’s humble origins from creator LocalThunk. 

“LocalThunk: Just gonna make a game for myself and a few friends,” the developer posted, followed by an image of the game having sold 3.5m units. 

Speaking to GQ, LocalThunk admitted that he somewhat regrets how successful Balatro has become. The anonymous developer said that he might have been happier had he not released the game. 

“Don’t get me wrong – this has changed my life in a lot of amazing ways,” LocalThunk said. “I’m so grateful. But I do miss that time before. It was just a hobby that recharged my batteries. Sometimes I think, ‘Maybe I would’ve been happier if I had never released this game to the public.”

Winner of awards 

At The Game Awards on December 13, Balatro was recognised with multiple accolades, including wins for Mobile Game of the Year, Best Debut Indie Game and Indie Game of the Year. 

Two months after its mobile launch, Balatro has earned nearly $4.4 million in revenue on the App Store and Google Play. 

The game first debuted on PC and console in February before expanding to mobile on September 26, earning $1 million in its first week. Balatro involves building poker hands, creating card combos, finding Jokers, and defeating Boss Blinds.