Publisher PlayStack and developer LocalThunk have announced that smash hit indie card roguelike Balatro has passed yet another major sales milestone, further solidifying the game's status as a runaway success.
In a message on social media platform X, the two studios reveal that Balatro has crossed the five million sales mark, which puts it about on par with Nexon's "indie" hit Dave the Diver or Focus and Saber's Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2.
The studios thank everyone who's played Balatro "after seeing it at The Game Awards", where it was nominated for (and eventually won) the Best Indie Game prize. Rather charmingly, the studios then recommend trying to make playing indie games "a habit", as "there's some amazing stuff out there".
It's been an excellent year for Balatro, all things considered. The game launched in February 2024 and quickly crossed the half-million sales mark, going on to break a million sales less than two weeks after that milestone.
In August last year, Balatro hit two million sales, and in December of the same year, Playstack and LocalThunk announced the game had reached 3.5 million, which means it's managed to rack up another 1.5 million in the intervening weeks.
If you've somehow managed to come this far without either playing or hearing about Balatro (and you're not alone if you're in the first camp, because I haven't either), it's a poker roguelike in which the goal is to rack up points by utilizing "adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos".
While it bases itself on poker, Balatro's appeal lies in its array of powerful joker cards, which provide a range of bonuses. Stacking these bonuses up correctly is the key to building your score and breaking through to the next round.
You can check out Balatro right now on...well, on pretty much everything: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. Stay tuned for more.
