Local Thunk Avoided Roguelikes in Balatro Development, Except Slay the Spire

In a fascinating deep dive into the development of the hit game Balatro, the game's creator, known as Local Thunk, shared a comprehensive account on his personal blog. Throughout the development of Balatro, Local Thunk consciously avoided playing roguelike games, believing that making mistakes and exploring design independently was a key part of his hobby of game development. However, he admitted to breaking this rule once by playing Slay the Spire, a decision prompted by issues with controller implementation in his own game. This experience led him to appreciate Slay the Spire's design without copying it for Balatro.

Local Thunk's blog post offers a treasure trove of insights into the game's evolution. Initially, the project folder was simply named "CardGame," and the working title was "Joker Poker." The developer also shared details about scrapped features, such as a system where players could only upgrade cards in a pseudo-shop, a separate currency for rerolls, and a 'golden seal' mechanic that would return cards to a player's hand after use.

An amusing anecdote revealed how Balatro ended up with 150 Jokers instead of the initially planned 120. This change came about due to a miscommunication with the publisher, Playstack, which Local Thunk ultimately felt was a better decision for the game.

The origin of Local Thunk's pseudonym is equally intriguing. It stems from a humorous exchange with his partner about variable naming in programming, resulting in the playful "local thunk" which he later adopted as his developer handle.

For those interested in the full story of Balatro's creation, Local Thunk's blog is a must-read. IGN has celebrated Balatro, awarding it a 9/10 and praising it as "A deck-builder of endlessly satisfying proportions, it's the sort of fun that threatens to derail whole weekend plans as you stay awake far too late staring into the eyes of a jester tempting you in for just one more run."