Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's biggest competition as the best-reviewed game of 2024 is the roguelike deck builder darling of Steam Next Fest
Feb. 22, 2024That’s some impressive company
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Balatro’s Steam Next Fest demo proved to be one of thebig hits of the event, taking the basic rules of poker and turning it all on its head. The basic idea is that you get dealt cards and you need to build poker hands - a full house, a straight, a pair, and so on. Each hand has a particular payout in points and multipliers, earning you chips that you need to beat certain target scores.
The twist is, of course, that you get special cards you can use to alter your deck, improving your multipliers and giving you special situational bonuses to your score. As in any good roguelike, you’ll quickly find yourself working towards a theory of a build and cackling as everything comes together - or despairing when random elements put an end to your perfectly laid plans.
It’s a simple concept, easy to grasp, and the lightning quick rounds and upgrade selections make Balatro a breeze to play. It was the perfect formula for Steam Next Fest success, and it looks like the full version is just as engaging. Over onOpenCritic, Balatro has an average score of 92 points. That’s game of the year type praise right there, folks.
Putting Balatro up against FF7 Rebirth is a bit of an ‘apples versus bicycles’ comparison - an indie game from a mostly solo, anonymous designer up against a AAA JRPG with nearly three decades of anticipation behind it. But that’s just what makes the reception to Balatro so notable. It looks like this is one indie game that’s going to be standing above the crowd for some time to come.
Check out our interview exploringBalatro’s hype, its ingenious twists on Poker, and its mysterious creator.
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