Balatro's Dev Reassures Fans On 1.1 Update And Reflects On Unconventional Path To Success

The creator of the hit indie roguelike Balatro, known as LocalThunk, recently marked the game's second anniversary by sharing a personal story and confirming that the Balatro 1.1 update remains in development. The update was originally planned for last year but was postponed by the solo developer to maintain his "hobbyist" approach to creating games. After focusing on a balance patch and a mobile port, he took a break before commencing work on the 1.1 version.

The game has achieved remarkable success, surpassing 5 million copies sold, more than doubling its sales figures from last August. This surge followed its mobile release and several wins at last year's The Game Awards. A significant victory for the game also came in the form of a successful formal appeal that reclassified its rating to PEGI 12+ from a restrictive PEGI 18. The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) organisation announced the change, with its Complaints Board concluding that the game contained mitigating fantastical elements despite explaining various poker hands.

In a blog post titled "Bad Grades," LocalThunk recounted his decision to drop out of an engineering degree. He wrote that "the idea of spending the rest of my life doing something I didn't care about was enough for me to throw in the towel." He approached his academic advisor to switch to a computer science degree instead. I find his journey from a struggling student to a successful developer inspiring. The transition was not smooth, as he had already missed several weeks of the semester. He admitted to not being a good student and barely passing some required courses.

"The choice was simple. It was hardly a choice at all, really. I loved programming. I wasn’t any good at it, nor was I aware of what may await me after graduation, but in the months since that Intro to Computer Science course I had created a few programs that convinced me this is the thing for me. I want to make things with code."

— LocalThunk

This newfound path allowed him to create various projects, including a perlin noise terrain generator and a grid-based heat dissipation simulation. He spent over two years on an unnamed and uncompleted strategy game inspired by Risk and Europa Universalis.

"But it was exactly what I wanted to make, and the feeling of absolute freedom I had while working on it is the reason why I kept game development as a hobby years later. That project was the template."

— LocalThunk

LocalThunk mentioned that he recently found the files for that old project and played it for a couple of days, finding it "pretty fun." He reflects on that period of his life often, considering the "insanity" that followed the release of Balatro. The success came with baggage, attention, heartache, fear, and stress, but he feels that the core of his old self remains. I can see how that dedication to a personal vision resulted in Balatro's unique appeal.

"Last night I stayed up until the early hours of the morning drawing pixel art, writing code, and listening to music in my quiet house. Notebook of ideas open next to me, cup of decaf in hand."

— LocalThunk

The post concluded with a direct and simple postscript reassuring his player base.

"Yes, I'm still working on 1.1."

The ratings board, following the appeals for Balatro and Luck Be A Landlord, stated it will adjust its classification process.

Read also, Panik Arcade’s CloverPit begins like a grim parody of Balatro. The same gambling-roguelike rhythm drives its core, but the presentation replaces playful absurdity with something close to ritualistic torment. A nameless captor locks the player in a dungeon, forcing endless spins on a slot machine until a target score is met. Fail to do so within a few rounds, and the floor gives way to an abyss.