Balatro, the wildly popular poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder, is one of the best games of 2024. And almost since it launched, people have been asking for a deck of real playing cards based on those in the game. Well, that’s finally happening. Tell all your Balatro-pilled friends and family. But also, there is a bit of bad news, too.
Released in February, Balatro has quickly become one of the hottest games of 2024. The unassuming poker roguelike has gotten its hooks into millions of gamers around the world across PC, console, and mobile, thanks to its devilishly fun mechanics and how snappy the game feels to play. Even dozens and dozens of hours later, I find myself booting up Balatro and getting all giddy when I get a combo of jokers that lets me build a massively high score. Now, Balatro is escaping the digital realm and making the leap to our physical world.
On December 4, the official Balatro Twitter account tweeted “Fineeeee!” and revealed that an official Balatro deck of playing cards is coming. You can pre-order it for $16.
The deck includes 52 cards that looked ripped right out of the game, complete with pixel art queens and kings.
It also includes four jokers based on cards found in the game: the basic Joker, Juggler, Blueprint, and Gros Michel. Not the jokers I’d pick, but maybe they’ll make more and sell them seperately in the future. I know I’d buy them.
Now, for the bad news. These cards can’t be a stocking stuffer or Christmas gift this year. While you can pre-order the deck starting today, they won’t start shipping out until March. I guess you could buy a deck, hide it, and give it to your Balatro-lovin’ friend or family member next Christmas, but why would you punish someone you love?
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