Flushes are the way. Jupiters and suit specific jokers, then arcane cards that switch 3 suits for you. Have had all my highest winning runs with this method.
My record was something over 6,000,000 which imbued me with a very misplaced sense of impunity that came crashing down moments later, and the whole ordeal left me emotionally exhausted.
I have never played a game I understood less than Balatro. I can tell there's an entire other game just below the surface, I just can't quite work out what it is, and just looking it up feels like missing the point.
I had a recent run when I was scoring e11 per hand, and I forgot to take a screen shot! I felt like a god watching the multipliers add up. Almost made it to ante 15.
I just had a run that I felt was broken in how many good jokers I was getting (2x blueprint, 2x mime, brainstorm, baron) and got to ante 21. Apparently people can get up to ante 39, so learning that was disheartening.
An insane amount of luck, mostly. But it helps to get a money-based skip bonus in the first round ($25, free shop, etc.).
I got a polychrome and multi 9 from a standard pack, managed to get a red seal on it, and then set off on duplicating it with Death and Cryptid cards and destroying others.
Hell yeah! Roguelite card games do it better than any other genre. Takes me back to Monster Train, which was a big inspiration for making my own deckbuilder
I've spent more time playing Monster Train and Slay the Spire than any other game recently, and I previously said I didn't like anything with cards as a mechanic.
As someone who has Completionist++ (win every challenge + win on every stake with every deck + win on gold stake with every joker) and is getting close to it again on a second profile: turn back now, while you still remember what your friends and family look like.
I Just had a run with a two suit deck, got the destroy a hand to boost the hand card, then the duplicate this joker card, then the number of times this hand has been played multiplier. By the end of the run my flush level 42.
Balatro is the first game I've ever owned since WarioWare where the *entire family* is transfixed by the screen, wife, kids, and cats, screaming at the game, acting like it's a World Cup final. It's an amazing feeling, an amazing game.
Skipping blinds and saving up cash is a good way to start your runs. Typically I’ll usually only skip runs if they guarantee me a holo joker. Also tarot card packs are great too. I’d use them as much as possible.
Never let go of that feeling and also never look at any reply saying anything along the lines of “ain’t shit wait till you score x”
Enjoy the wonder of an experience that is Balatro
i keep getting stuck on the last hand of ante 11 to get that dang ante 12 voucher achievement. on the plus side i was an infinite well of patience when we were shopping in target yesterday!
i think i had a shot this last run if i didn't get the no-discards boss. had a pretty strong 4/5 of a kind deck going and then couldn't get any on the boss!!!
Things I did not see coming: The person whose columns my husband and I read to each other playing Balatro (or, well, any videogame)! That's beyond cool. Greetings from someone working in the field!
I can not get enough of this game. I’m working my way through gold stakes now, my record hand is a little over a billion and I know I’ve gotta get that up higher 🙂
I knew Balatro was going to be one of my favorite games of all time once my brother and I started texting each other recounting the latest insane joker combos and devastating losses.
Comments
I forget how I actually did it first time but this is a pretty easy way, just gotta get the kings, healthy economy to keep rolling for those jokers
and then you never see anything like it for 25 games and it feels bad :(
Arguably one of the best indie games ever made
Try this seed out. You get a negative Perkeo and a negative Triboulet in the 2nd round shop or in the 4th round shop. Don’t remember which one.
I got a polychrome and multi 9 from a standard pack, managed to get a red seal on it, and then set off on duplicating it with Death and Cryptid cards and destroying others.
Maybe I should focus on stake advancements instead. The only one I’ve beat on gold is the checkered deck.
I'm with you on the fast animations, though.
… or also my game ☺️
After this round.
(Also: "ball-ah-tro" or "bail-eh-tro"?)
The best is finally breaking through and getting a win on orange/gold stake difficulty, it took hours, but feels so powerful
Chips are key in the early game, use planets to get your scores higher, then transition to mult jokers.
The gambler's fa-lacky has its hold on me, now I have to try and get to a million
Enjoy the wonder of an experience that is Balatro
what was the play? 👀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzTwx6Lv9ps
The next hand, I had a hard time passing the 300 level.
My best ever topped out at 9.748e^15, but I lost the video when my phone broke :(
Balatro really brings everyone together.
https://bsky.app/profile/zenofdesign.com/post/3lftg7cuaqs2s