Balatro’s various demos pre-launch were already hinting at a wildly moreish, inventive roguelike on the cards, but somehow, its creator LocalThunk only realized how damn fun it was just a week before launch.
In a retrospective timeline detailing how Balatro went from a prototype to 2024’s breakout indie game, LocalThunk revealed that the last few months of development were pretty gruelling. Dealing with a publisher, media attention, streamer hype, and evermore demo players who all had something to say was entirely new ground – and I can imagine, a very stressful experience.
Being so in the weeds meant LocalThunk didn’t have too many opportunities to step back and appreciate the fine work he’d put in, though. That was the case until Balatro’s last Steam Next Fest demo garnered even more buzz.
“I start properly playing the game myself about a week before launch – and it’s actually fun,” the developer recalled. “I have a pretty emotional moment where I feel like I did the thing I set out to do. Finally. I made the fun game I wanted to make.”
It’s a full circle, surprisingly heartfelt moment in a blog post that gets really real about the highs and lows of working on something entirely by yourself very, very publicly. I recommend you read it whether you’ve played hundreds of rounds of Balatro or none at all.
LocalThunk might have created a bigger hit than even he realized at the time, however. Balatro has since gone on to sell over five million copies, grab game of the years nods in countless places, and even secure crossovers with the likes of Fallout and Assassin’s Creed.
“I was in super crunch mode”: Balatro creator opens up on the toll the stress of indie development took on his “physical and mental health”
