Games that give players rules and then encourage them to break them have been around for a while, but there’s no denying that Balatro has made this approach even more popular and irresistible.
The game was released in 2024 by LocalThunk and quickly became a hit by giving players cards to build decks with unique Jokers, cards that go beyond the traditional deck, and the mission: create the best synergies to score big and win the match.
This philosophy became a trend, winning over players and catching the attention of other studios, which began to take inspiration from Balatro. The result? Several games were born as a result of this success, giving their own spin on how to have fun creating strategies and the craziest combos.
7.
Poker Quest | Put poker and RPG in a pot and mix well
2022 | Playsaurus | PC, Android
Poker Quest: Swords and Spades is the answer to an unexpected question: what if someone combined RPG and poker?
The result is a game that transforms card playing into an adventure that breaks away from traditional poker, and also has Balatro’s DNA. Here, you will build a deck of 52 cards and embark on a medieval adventure and battle a bunch of monsters.
This is where a very cool parallel between the logic of RPGs, poker, and Balatro comes in: the hands of cards define the player’s actions, builds, and strategies. Think of it as the better your items are, the better your build will be.
The inspirations don’t stop at Balatro, as Poker Quest’s map is based on Slay the Spire, providing a variety of events and combat reminiscent of Dicey Dungeons, in which instead of dice, the focus is on cards and their effects.
To make the game even more engaging, you’ll find more than 20 unique heroes to play with, the possibility to play with or without permanent upgrades, unlock more than 20 unique heroes, and hundreds of items.
6.
Luck Be a Landlord | Simple, satisfying Slots
2023 | Trampoline Tales | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux
Luck Be a Landlord isn’t exactly a clone, but rather the inspiration for Balatro. Previously a card game, everything changed when LocalThunk watched YouTuber Northernlion playing Luck Be a Landlord, redesigning the project as a roguelike and incorporating the score-chase system and slot machine mechanics. So, if roguelike fans today know Balatro as it is, it’s all thanks to this charming roguelike from 2023.
While Balatro can be considered a little intimidating, Luck Be a Landlord has gameplay that is easier to learn. The main point is to spin a slot machine, earn coins, and pay rent to the landlord 12 times—a common dilemma in people’s lives. But the landlord won’t make your life so easy, because after surviving one payment, the next time you pay rent will be more expensive.
The combination of symbols determines how many coins the player wins, which can be improved with power-ups and items that do things like protect against losses, increase luck, and change the odds of symbols appearing.
The retro graphics make the game more captivating, and the challenges that come with renting gradually becoming more expensive, are a good way to scratch that itch for simple visuals and smart deck building.
5.
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers | Blackjack, but with a twist
2024 | Purple Moss Collectors | PC
Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers transports you to a town with a tavern full of gambling addicts. The center of attention here is a corrupted version of Blackjack, in which each suit has a different effect: hearts heal, spades protect, diamonds increase coin gains, and clubs cause more damage. Your mission? Defeat the addicts in this strange Blackjack game and find out who is behind this weird casino.
Some details in the game remind me of Hearthstone, such as the layout of the cards and the fact that a well-played move takes life points from your opponent, while the opposite happens to you if they land a good card.
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Speaking of your opponents, there are 60 characters to defeat in Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers. However, here’s the twist: each one has its own rules and peculiarities. So it’s not just a matter of going out there, playing, and calling it a day. You need to adapt to the rules and randomness.
And that deck has a literal world of possibilities because Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers has over 300 different cards that can be added or removed from the game.
They go beyond ordinary cards: there are cards with alternative artwork, tarot cards, and even a birthday card, Valentine’s Day card, blood donor card, and what appears to be the back of a credit card. Another cool detail is that your character’s appearance can be changed, resulting in things like a pirate with a sun hat or wearing Cyclops-style glasses.
4.
Bingle Bingle | Funny name, addictive game
2024 | Knitting Games | PC
Bingle Blingle has a slightly more cartoonish style, but it maintains the chaotic feel and that “this shouldn’t work, but it does” vibe that is not uncommon in games like Balatro.
Defined by the developers as a “Roulette Builder,” the title allows you to make your own roulette wheel with betting options and balls to produce powerful synergies, similar to Balatro’s Jokers and cards.
The player starts with a roulette wheel, ball, and bet, nothing fancy or too complicated. The catch comes as they progress through Bingle Bingle, earning the scores needed to win rounds and the chance to unlock upgrades for these three elements, which opens the way for new strategies. There are more than 10 unique balls, over 50 betting options, as well as classes, specialties, and badges with unique effects that add a special flavour to the game.
With a world of possibilities and strategies, it’s no coincidence that decision-making in Bingle Bingle carries such weight, because in a moment, a specific combination or strategy can earn you millions of points, or it can take you back to square one. However, if you succeed in combining numbers and colours and adapting your strategy, you can finally beat the house.
3.
Aotenjo: Infinite Hands | A new way to play Mahjong
2025| XO Cat | PC
Swap playing cards for the intricate designs of Mahjong tiles, and you have Aotenjo: Infinite Hands. The aesthetic here changes, obviously, because Mahjong tiles draw attention for their detailed and beautiful designs, although the game relies on the same gameplay concepts as Balatro. Here, players build walls (which function as decks) with these tiles, and can achieve impressive scores using three different forms.
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The first of these are Artifacts: the game features 144 of these items, such as the Demon Statue, which affects the player’s Corrupted Tiles. There are also over 100 Patterns known as Yakus, and 20 Gadgets: combine these three items, and you’ll be able to land devastating combos to overcome and defeat evil threats.
Another positive aspect of the game is that the runs are seeded, generating new Artifacts, Gadgets, and boosts every time the player starts a run, ensuring high replayability, as it will not be the same as the previous one.
Do you find Mahjong a confusing game? The game does not leave you alone and features an extensive tutorial, as well as over 40 different Mahjong styles, which is great. In this way, Aotenjo: Infinite Hands is accessible to beginners, while still offering something for experienced players of styles such as Richii, MCR, or Cantonese to dive into.
2.
Passant: A Chess Roguelike | Chess for all experience levels
2025 | Marc Makes Games | PC
Think about the complexity of chess, the challenge of strategic planning, and the almost infinite possibilities. Mix it with a little Balatro, and what you get is Passant: A Chess Roguelike, a game in which chess matches take on a challenging and exciting twist.
The matches have victory conditions and progress in the form of rounds that can have a defined difficulty, a decision that influences the outcome. This way, if the round is easier, it generates less money, and if it is more challenging, the profit is higher.
This profit is used to purchase upgrades that will be used in the next round, and there are plenty of options to make good profits in the game: there are 125 unique modifiers and items with effects that allow you to freeze a piece, demote it to a Pawn, or promote it to a Queen.
If we talk about pieces with which the player can build the board—which functions as a deck—they also do not follow the standard and are unusual, such as the Archbishop, the Dragon Knight, the Dragon King, a machine gun, and a rubber duck.
Similar to Aotenjo: Infinite Hands, Passant: A Chess Roguelike has variations that make the game even crazier, in a good way.
In Atonic Chess, a captured piece causes explosions that affect the surrounding pieces; in Unique Pieces, there are exclusive pieces with abilities that you won’t find in traditional chess, as well as other variations such as Reflective Bishops and Zombie Pawns. These variations add a layer of complexity to the game in just the right way, offering a unique chess experience.
1.
CloverPit | Balatro’s famous child
2025 | Panik Arcade | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Cloud Gaming, Android and iOS
CloverPit is defined as “the demonic lovechild of Buckshot Roulette and Balatro,” and it’s not hard to see why this seemingly strange phrase was coined. It all starts with the player being locked in a small cell with a slot machine and an ATM. You then start the game and have several rounds to win coins and pay off your debt at the end of each round; otherwise, it’s goodbye to your run.
Panik Arcade builds a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, relying on psychological horror and an almost Five Nights at Freddy‘s vibe because of the game’s visuals. It’s a dark-toned pixel art style that reinforces the sinister atmosphere and increases the pressure on the player’s mind between the need to take risks, manage coin reserves, and the constant fear of “666” appearing and taking all the coins away.
However, the mix of mystery and tension is not the only reason that made CloverPit popular. It features over 150 amulets that are the basis of the gameplay: with them, the player activates powerful combos that increase the gains and chances of success in a run. In addition, the game has seeded runs, ensuring replayability and a series of situations that are often discussed on the game’s subreddit.
