Award season was a triumphant time for Balatro, the intriguing poker roguelike that scooped up three prizes at The Game Awards 2024, including accolades for Best Mobile Game and Best Independent Game. Its developer, known as LocalThunk, humorously took to Twitter wondering where to find a new trophy shelf sturdy enough to handle the weight of these wins. Fans can look forward to more exciting updates to the game in 2025.
During the star-studded event held on December 12, which marked the 10th anniversary of The Game Awards, Balatro joined a celebration of gaming excellence. This year’s show featured a string of spectacular game announcements including CD Projekt Red revealing The Witcher 4, and surprise updates about Xbox’s The Outer Worlds 2 slated for 2025. Not to be outdone, Naughty Dog debuted a captivating cinematic trailer for their new 80s sci-fi venture, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Balatro launched early in 2024 and has quickly captured the attention of the gaming sphere. Its irresistible nature kept players coming back for more, aided by continuous updates and collaborations with renowned titles like The Witcher 3, Among Us, and a nod in a Cyberpunk 2077 side quest. With such momentum, Balatro emerged as a surprise competitor for Game of the Year against titans like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, and Black Myth: Wukong.
Although it missed out on the Game of the Year award, which went to Sony’s Astro Bot, Balatro secured three impressive wins including Best Mobile Game, Debut Indie Game, and Best Independent Game. LocalThunk, the creative genius behind the game, joined the celebration spree online with a playful remark about needing a new shelf for their fresh haul of trophies.
Even with The Game Awards wrapped up, the season isn’t over. The DICE Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards are on the horizon. There’s hope that Balatro might still earn some big-name awards from major gaming publications yet to announce their picks for 2024 Game of the Year. Regardless of these results, Balatro stands poised to score more honors in the weeks to come.
LocalThunk has more in store, consistently churning out engaging updates and partnerships for Balatro, with no signs of slowing down in 2025. Recently, the Friends of Jimbo collaboration pack rolled out, featuring cards inspired by games like Cult of the Lamb, Warframe, and Shovel Knight. There’s plenty of speculation about what’s next for Balatro, and fans are eager to see what surprises 2025 will bring.
