Weird poker-meets-roguelite game called Balatro is finally making its way to the mobile realm, as developer LocalThunk announced on Thursday.
Balatro was initially released on February 20 on platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. However, it has always seemed like the ideal game to be played on your phone.
If you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber, you’ll be able to enjoy Balatro. Alternatively, you can purchase the game for $9.99 on the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. On Apple Arcade, it’s known as Balatro+, but a representative from publisher Playstack clarified to Polygon that it’s essentially the same game. The most significant change, generally speaking, is that Balatro is now accessible on mobile with touch controls. Swiping and touching the cards is likely to feel quite natural for the game, which could be a dangerous proposition for those already hooked on its addictive “one more round” feature.
One of the remarkable things about Balatro is its excellent and unique game loop. It takes the scoring aspect of Poker, which involves creating high-scoring hands, and throws it into a state of chaos. Instead of a typical deck of 52 regular playing cards, you get to encounter increasingly wild Joker cards and other elements that modify the scoring system to help you rack up high scores.
Basically, Balatro has been a big hit this summer. Although it made a splash when it was released in February, the developer announced in August that they would be adding a gameplay update in 2025, and that several surprises were on the horizon. And indeed, those surprises turned out to be the mobile release date and a bunch of new crossover Balatro cards.