How to Use Cheats in Balatro (Debug Menu Guide)

Balatro, the 2024 breakout hit selling over 3.5 million copies and winning multiple Game Awards, continues to captivate players. However, mastering its mechanics might leave some seeking new challenges. While mods offer one solution, accessing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, preserving achievements. This guide details how to enable and utilize this cheat menu.

Quick Links

• Enabling Cheats in Balatro

• Using the Balatro Debug Menu

How to Enable Cheats in Balatro

To activate Balatro's debug menu and access its cheats, you'll need 7-Zip (free, open-source software). Locate your Balatro installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro). If not found, access it via your Steam library: right-click Balatro, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."

Right-click Balatro.exe and open the archive using 7-Zip (may be under "Show More Options"). Locate conf.lua and open it with a text editor (like Notepad).

Modify _RELEASE_MODE = true to _RELEASE_MODE = false, then save. If saving fails, extract conf.lua to your desktop, make the change, and replace the original file. Press and hold the Tab key in-game to access the debug menu. To disable, revert the _RELEASE_MODE parameter to true.

How to Use the Balatro Debug Menu

The Balatro cheat menu is user-friendly. Unlock collectibles by hovering and pressing '1'; spawn jokers by hovering and pressing '3'. Initially limited to five jokers, pressing 'Q' four times on a joker in hand transforms it into a negative, effectively increasing your joker limit.

All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)