Loading...Balatro is an exciting new roguelike from LocalThunk that blends the engaging mechanics of roguelikes with the strategy of poker. Given the vastness of the roguelike genre, there are many concepts to grasp. Here are some simple tips and tricks to help you improve quickly.
Be Willing to Experiment
In most roguelikes, lack of experience can be a natural hurdle to overcome. The more you play, the more you’ll learn about what to watch for and the better you’ll understand potential combos. Balatro emphasizes this with various elements to discover, including Jokers, Vouchers, and Tarot Cards.
Making bold plays can lead you to unlocks you might not have found otherwise. While losing can be frustrating in the moment, embracing defeat will ultimately enhance your understanding of what works and what doesn’t, making you a better player in the long run.
Establish Your Strategy Early
Just like in other roguelikes, it’s helpful to try out a few strategies when you start playing to see what suits you best. The initial learning curve can be steep, and Balatro is no exception! Familiarize yourself with effective hands and common jokers, and as you play more, your understanding of familiar patterns will grow.
Know When to Change Your Plan
This might seem to contradict the previous point, but a key skill in roguelikes is the ability to adapt on the fly. There will be moments when you need to reassess your current strategy and consider abandoning it for a stronger option. Balatro is no different; some runs may offer a viable path, but recognizing and seizing more powerful opportunities is crucial for improvement.
Collect Interest
As you progress in Balatro, you’ll quickly learn the importance of managing your money. Strengthening your character is closely tied to spending money in shops, and accumulating money after each encounter is essential. For every $5 you have (up to $25, outside of certain voucher enhancements), you’ll earn an extra $1.
Pay attention to your $5 thresholds, especially early in the game, as saving money leads to exponential growth. However, don’t hesitate to spend if you don’t have $25; waiting too long to use your money could lead to failing a Blind encounter before you can spend it! Balancing this is key to becoming a better player.
Note Card Order
As you progress in Balatro, you’ll realize that the order of your cards is significant. This applies to the placement of your jokers, the order in which you score hands, and even the activation of certain Tarot cards.
Everything functions left to right, so when scoring with your Jokers, position those that add to your Chips and Multipliers on the left, and those that multiply those values on the right. Some Jokers, like Ceremonial Dagger and Swashbuckler, rely on the position of other Jokers to trigger their effects.
While it may seem like luck plays a role in the order of your cards, you have the flexibility to rearrange them at any time!
Look for Power Scaling Opportunities
Balatro is filled with chances to complete tasks throughout your runs. Fans of other roguelikes like Slay the Spire may recall cards like Feed and Ritual Dagger that reward you for specific actions.
There are card modifiers (like Blue, Purple, and Gold Seals) and Jokers (like Ride the Bus and Burnt Joker) that can increase their power if you meet their conditions.
Consider Skipping Blinds
Balatro offers the option to skip encounters entirely. When you choose to avoid an encounter, you receive a Tag that activates a special ability. While it’s usually beneficial to engage in encounters for potential rewards, some Tags may be too valuable to pass up, especially if you need a specific solution.
Skipping isn’t just for Tags; there are other strategic reasons to do so. For example, if you want to conserve diminishing Jokers or prepare for a specific Boss Blind, you can skip Blinds to extend their usefulness.
Take Every Chance to Scale
While it’s satisfying to score big hands, keep in mind that over-scoring doesn’t necessarily yield extra money. Most of your income will come from holding interest, winning fights with remaining hands, and bonuses from your cards and Jokers.
Although it’s tempting to rush to victory, always remember opportunities to scale your strength. For instance, if you have a Joker like Trading Card and a winning hand, see if you can fulfill its condition before finishing the fight. If you know you have cards with a Gold, Blue, or Purple Seal, fish for them using your discards.
Study Your Face Down Cards
Sometimes, you’ll have to deal with face-down cards or Jokers, which can be frustrating. However, there are ways to manage this! For Jokers, not all share the same standard size; comparing a base Joker to a Half Joker or a Wee Joker will reveal their distinct shapes. Look for silhouettes of Jokers to identify them.
If your Jokers are the same size and face down, an advanced tactic is to lower the game speed in settings. Once you score a hand, you can observe which face-down cards score how, allowing you to rearrange your Jokers accordingly.
For face-down playing cards, you can gather information by sorting the visible cards by Rank and Suit. This will give you clues about the hidden cards. For example, if there’s a face-down card between a Queen and a Ten, it’s likely a Jack.
While this method isn’t foolproof, paying attention can help you make better decisions about face-down cards. Additionally, cards that trigger in hand (like Steel Cards) will still activate when face down, so keep that in mind.
Hold Down R to Restart
As you become more skilled and tackle higher difficulties or challenge runs, you may find that a perfect starting hand is crucial for success. Instead of going to the main menu to restart, you can simply hold down R to restart a run, saving you valuable time as you search for a better start.