Picture this: you’re a dev who’s never touched a roguelike deckbuilder, diving headfirst into making one just for kicks. That’s Localthunk, the mastermind behind Balatro, a game that stormed the scene in 2024 and started nipping at the heels of genre titan Slay the Spire. Yeah, Slay the Spire has been the undisputed champ since its early access drop in 2017, but Balatro? It’s the scrappy underdog that came out swinging, earning its spot as a game-of-the-year contender alongside heavyweights like Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. And it all started with a guy who wanted to mess around with cards without a clue what he was doing—talk about deckbuilding roguelikes taking over, right?
Here’s the kicker: Localthunk didn’t just stumble into success overnight. The dude poured nearly three years into Balatro, from its first spark in December 2021 to its big launch in February 2024. He even dropped a dev diary recently, spilling all the juicy details. Early on, he swore off playing roguelikes—didn’t want the big dogs like Slay the Spire messing with his vibe. “Making games is my hobby,” he wrote back in ’21. “Releasing them? Making cash? Nah, not the goal. I wanted to figure this deckbuilder thing out blind—screw up, reinvent stuff, keep it fresh.” Honestly, I respect that. It’s like me trying to cook without a recipe—just winging it and hoping it doesn’t burn the house down.
Fast forward to May 2023, though, and the temptation got him. He caved, grabbed Slay the Spire, and—bam—mind blown. “Holy s***. Now that is a game,” he jotted down. You can almost hear the gears turning as he played it. And by October 2023, he wasn’t just a fan—he was a thief. He straight-up admitted to swiping the ascension system, that sweet difficulty ramp Slay the Spire uses to keep you hooked. “Told you I’d steal from it,” he said, and I’m cracking up imagining him sneaking that mechanic into Balatro like a kid smuggling candy. It’s a slick move, though—adding that layer of challenge and a checklist to chew through? Genius.
Look, I’ve sunk hours into both games, and I get why Balatro hit so hard. It’s got this wild, chaotic energy—poker hands mashed up with roguelike madness—but you can feel Slay the Spire’s DNA in there too. Localthunk might’ve started out avoiding the genre, but once he cracked open that Pandora’s box, he couldn’t resist borrowing a little royalty. And honestly, who can blame him? Slay the Spire is the gold standard for a reason. So next time you’re shuffling through Balatro, tip your hat to its big brother. Deckbuilding roguelikes wouldn’t be the same without this kind of sneaky inspiration.
