Last year was a fantastic period for gaming, with numerous standout titles hitting the market. However, one game that truly captured the hearts of players and critics was the indie roguelike, Balatro. Developed by a single individual, this game not only received widespread critical acclaim but also achieved astonishing commercial success, surpassing 5 million copies sold!
Just over a month ago, Balatro's developer, LocalThunk, was celebrating a milestone of 3.5 million copies sold. Remarkably, in the span of about 40 days, the game managed to sell an additional 1.5 million copies. This surge in sales can likely be attributed to the "The Game Awards effect," as hinted by the developer in a tweet.
Harvey Elliott, the CEO of publisher Playstack, described this achievement as an incredible milestone worthy of celebration. He also expressed immense pride in both Balatro's developer and the dedicated team at Playstack.
It's evident that nearly a year after its release, Balatro continues to thrive. The card-based roguelike is still receiving updates, featuring exciting collaborations, and has recently achieved a new personal record for peak concurrent players on Steam.