Balatro has garnered gamers’ interest nationwide with its innovative blend of poker-inspired mechanics, deck-building tactics, and rogue-like elements. Since its launch in February 2024, the game has quickly gained popularity across platforms such as PC, consoles, Android, and iOS, particularly resonating with American players who enjoy strategic and replayable card games.
Suppose you’re a US-based game developer, indie studio owner, or entrepreneur inspired by Balatro’s success and aiming to develop a comparable card-based game in 2025. In that case, you’re in the right place. This blog covers the entire process, from game concept and design to development, launch, budget planning, potential challenges, and expert advice, helping you create a Balatro-style card game tailored for the American market.
Balatro is a poker-inspired card game where players build decks using a standard 52-card deck. Players combine valid poker hands with unique joker cards to create different builds in this game. As you progress, you discover hidden bonuses and decks and earn chips to beat blinds. Blinds are simply obstacles that must be overcome to advance in the game. You need to defeat the blind and beat the final ante to win.
One Ante consists of three blinds. You must win a sequence of all eight antes by accumulating enough chips earned by playing high-score hands. Furthermore, players can enhance their decks through various items that can alter the rules of Balatro. These items are available for purchase from the shop during gameplay rounds.
What Makes Balatro Unique?
Balatro is a game that merges deck-building strategy with dynamic, varied gameplay. Its distinctive card mechanics enable players to create powerful combos and adapt to randomized challenges, making each game uniquely different.
Balatro also boasts impressive graphics, an appealing art style, and a compelling narrative that captivates casual and dedicated gamers. With its focus on innovation, socio-driven updates, and replayability, Balatro carves its gaming category as a perfect mix of creativity and challenge that keeps players hooked for hours.
How to Create Balatro-like Games?
Creating a Balatro-like game is challenging and involves several steps. These steps range from conceptualization to implementation and deployment. Let’s examine the step-by-step development process.
Pre-Production
It is a pre-development phase that includes market analysis and the making of a blueprint for the game.
Market research
The first step is to analyze the market to learn about your competitors and their offerings. With proper market research, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors and the demands of the customers in the market. This will help you make informed decisions about developing your own game like Balatro.
Blueprint
After analyzing the market, the next step is to create a blueprint, commonly called a whitepaper. This document essentially guides the entire development process of the application software. The blueprint contains information on Balatro-like game development, including features, cost, and more, that guides the game developers throughout the development process.
Production
The development stage includes designing, developing, and testing the game, akin to Balatro.
Game UI/UX Design
During the production phase, the initial step is to develop the game’s user interface. The distinction between UI and UX is that UI pertains to the game’s interactivity, visual design, and appeal. In contrast, UI relates explicitly to the interactivity, appearance, and feel of the game’s interface. User experience (UX), however, refers to a player’s overall experience with the game.
Game Development
The second step in the production phase, following UI/UX design, is to develop the game app using modern tools, a tech stack, and advanced programming languages. The game developers incorporate the features into the application according to the documentation and launch the Balatro game-like app. Once it is live for users, the game tester team conducts a review.
Game Testing and QA
Game testers evaluate the new app to find bugs that could affect its performance. They use advanced testing tools and strategies such as functional testing, regression testing, combinational testing, play testing, and more. Once testing is finished, a similar app to Balatro will be prepared for launch.
Post-Production
A stage after development includes deploying the game on the market and marketing to increase its reach to a wider audience.
Launch and Marketing
The final step is to launch your games on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. You also need marketing to enhance your game’s reach to a large audience worldwide. Various marketing strategies, such as digital content marketing, social media marketing, advertising, etc., boost the game’s user base.
App Maintenance & Support
Post-deployment support is essential in the game development process. Hiring a developer who offers maintenance and support after launching the game is crucial. This will benefit you in the long term, as you will receive prompt application updates, identify and resolve bugs, and integrate new features into the game similar to Balatro based on current trends.
Challenges That May Arise While Developing Balatro-Like Games in the USA
Balatro-like game development requires balancing innovation with accessibility. Creating unique mechanics demands thorough testing to ensure fairness and proper functionality. Adding randomized gameplay increases complexity in design and debugging. Additionally, developing visual arts and smooth animations requires skilled professionals and resources. These challenges make creating a standout game like Balatro especially rewarding.
Cost is a key consideration when developing a similar game. Multiple factors contribute to the overall cost of creating Balatro, including game development costs. The average cost of developing games similar to Balatro ranges from $5,000 to $11,000, including essential features and functionalities for Android, iOS, and Windows platforms. The price can increase to $20,000 or more with advanced features.
It is important to note that these costs are an average estimate. If you want to know the exact cost of your project, contact BR Softech and share your business idea with them. Also, several factors influence the cost of creating games like Balatro. Here is a list of the top factors affecting the cost:
Location of the developer
Skills of a developer
Development platform
Types of features
Complexity of the project
Type of tech stack
Here is the cost of developing games similar to Balatro with basic features for different platforms:
Platform
Cost Range
Android
$5,000 ~ $8,000
iOS
$7,500 ~ $11,000
Windows
$6,000 ~ $ 9,500
Top 10 Games Like Balatro You Can Play in the USA
Here’s a list of the top 10 games similar to Balatro that focus on deck-building mechanics and unique card-based gameplay:
Game Title
Release Year
Platforms
Genre
Core Mechanics
Unique Feature
Balatro
2024
PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Mobile
Deck-builder, Poker-roguelike
Poker hand rankings + deck-building + roguelike
Joker cards alter game rules drastically
Slay the Spire
2019
PC, Mobile, Switch, Console
Deck-builder, Roguelike
Turn-based combat, card upgrades
Map-based progression and relic system
Poker Roguelike
2022
PC
Roguelike, Card Strategy
Poker hands to defeat enemies
Procedural levels based on hands dealt
Luck Be a Landlord
2023
PC, Switch
Roguelike, Slot machine deck-builder
Symbol combos like slots + strategy
Economics-driven mechanics with randomness
Nowhere Prophet
2019
PC, Console, Mobile
Card Battler, Strategy
Deck-building + grid-based combat
Indian-inspired sci-fi setting
Dicey Dungeons
2019
PC, Console, Mobile
Roguelike, Dice-building
Dice rolls to trigger card effects
Multiple classes with unique mechanics
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
2018
PC, Console, Mobile
Card RPG
Story-driven card battles
Gwent-based combat with narrative decisions
Griftlands
2021
PC, Console
Deck-builder, Roguelike, RPG
Negotiation and combat decks
Dual-deck system for talk vs fight mechanics
1. Slay the Spire
This is a striking deck-building, Balatro-like game in which players ascend a spire filled with enemies. They need to upgrade their deck as they strategize with each card and relic to survive increasingly difficult levels.
2. Monster Train
A Balatro alternative featuring a multi-layered battlefield that challenges players to defend a train carrying the last burning pyre of hell against enemies.
. Hearthstone: Battlegrounds
Auto-battle mode in the popular card game Hearthstone allows players to draft minions and position them strategically to outlast opponents in combat rounds.
4. Griftlands
Griftlands is a narrative-driven deck-building game with combat gameplay where every decision and card played affects your relationship and survival.
5. Inscryption
An alternative to the Balatro game with a mysterious storyline and unique gameplay elements.
6. Loop Hero
This game combines deck-building activity with roguelike mechanics. Players strategically place cards to shape the path, enemies, and resources for their hero’s endless loop.
7. Dicey Dungeons
The game combines dice-rolling mechanics with deck-building. Players use their skills and strategies to navigate dungeon challenges.
8. Gwent: Rogue Mage
A collectible card game where deck-building and roguelike gameplay are mixed with the iconic card battle mechanics from The Witcher series.
9. Banners of Ruin
A deckbuilding game similar to Balatro, in which players command a group of anthropomorphic warriors navigating a besieged city, combining combat tactics with deck management.
10. Card Quest
One last Balatro alternative on this list features diverse character classes and strategic depth, offering different playstyles and challenges for endless replayability.
You can develop games like Balatro listed above with the help of a professional. Contact BR Softech, one of the leading game development companies in the landscape, to successfully deploy your desired game in the market.
Why Choose BR Softech to Develop a Game Like Balatro in the USA?
BR Softech is a leading card game development company with years of experience creating top-notch card games like Balatro for various platforms. Our highly skilled team of designers and developers is well-versed in using modern tools and technologies to create best-in-class card games for gaming platforms worldwide.
If the concept of this game inspires you and you want to have your own game that highly matches Balatro, then look no further than BR Softech. Share your idea with us, and we will make the best game app for you. Choose us and get the best perks:
24-Hr client support
Affordable game solutions
Cross-platform and multi-platform development services
Ans. Balatro is a poker-style game in which players create decks and aim to win by scoring sufficient points (chips) with high-scoring hands. Additionally, the players can improve their decks with several items that alter the game rules. These items can be bought from the in-game shop during the game.
Q2. What is the end goal of Balatro?
Ans. The player has to build a back that can make a strong hand with enough score to defeat the blind. Here blind is the major obstacle that the player must overcome to progress in the game. In every round, the player must score enough points to defeat the blind, if failed to do so the player may lose the game.
Q3. Do you build similar games for Android?
Ans. Our diverse range of card game development solutions for various platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows includes games similar to Balatro with customizations available.
Q4. How long does it take to develop games similar to Balatro?
Ans. Developing games similar to balatro can take around 2 to 3 months. However, the timeframe depends on the game project’s complexity.
Q5. Can I customize a Balatro-like game to include unique features?
Ans. You can customize your balatro game by including your features.
Q6. Do you offer multiplayer support for games like Balatro?
Ans. Yes, we offer multiplayer support for balatro-like games providing a seamless gaming experience to users.
Q7. What makes Balatro different from traditional poker games
Ans. Balatro mixes poker hand rankings with deck-building and rogue-like progression, offering a dynamic and strategic experience far beyond standard card games.
Q8.How much does it cost to develop a Balatro-inspired game?
Ans. Depending on features, platforms, and team location, the cost can range from $30,000 to $150,000+.
Q9.Which platforms should I target for a Balatro-like card game in 2025?
Ans. Ideally, aim for cross-platform release—PC (Steam, Epic), consoles (PS5, Xbox), and mobile (iOS & Android)—to maximize reach.
Nitin Garg is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and the visionary founder of BR Softech, a globally recognized leader in game development. With over 13 years of industry experience, he has been instrumental in transforming BR Softech into a powerhouse of innovation, offering cutting-edge solutions in Video Games, Blockchain Games, NFT Game Development, and card games like Poker, Rummy, and Teen Patti.
Nitin’s deep expertise in emerging technologies, combined with a sharp business acumen, has helped position BR Softech as a trusted name in the international gaming arena. Under his leadership, BR Softech has built a global clientele of 3,000+ satisfied customers and scaled a dedicated in-house team of 180+ skilled professionals.
