2023 delivered a plethora of exceptional video games, but one title truly shone, exceeding expectations and captivating both players and critics: the indie roguelike, Balatro. This single-developer project didn't just garner critical praise; it achieved phenomenal commercial success, selling over 5 million copies!
Remarkably, just a month prior, developer LocalThunk celebrated reaching 3.5 million sales. This translates to an astounding 1.5 million additional copies sold in approximately 40 days! This surge is likely attributable to the impact of The Game Awards, a possibility subtly hinted at by the developer on social media.
Harvey Elliott, CEO of publisher Playstack, lauded this achievement as an incredible feat deserving of widespread recognition. He expressed immense pride in both LocalThunk and the Playstack team.
Balatro's success continues to flourish nearly a year post-launch. This innovative card-based roguelike consistently receives updates, including exciting collaborations, and recently recorded a new all-time high for concurrent players on Steam.
