Local Thunk Avoided Roguelikes in Balatro Development, Except Slay the Spire

In a detailed blog post, Balatro developer Local Thunk shares an extensive history of the game's development, revealing that he consciously avoided playing roguelike games during the creation of Balatro, with one notable exception. As of December 2021, Local Thunk decided not to play any more roguelike games, stating that his goal was to explore the genre naively and reinvent the wheel, rather than borrow established designs. He emphasized that this approach, while potentially leading to a less polished game, was crucial to his enjoyment of game development as a hobby.

However, in June 2023, Local Thunk broke this rule by downloading and playing Slay the Spire, a game he praised highly. Initially, he played it to study controller inputs for card games but found himself deeply engaged with the game. He expressed relief at having avoided it earlier, as it might have influenced his design choices for Balatro.

Local Thunk's post also offers fascinating insights into the development process. Early on, he named the working folder for Balatro "CardGame" and kept it throughout development. The game's working title was "Joker Poker" for much of its creation. He also discussed scrapped features, such as a version where cards could be upgraded multiple times in a pseudo-shop, a separate currency for rerolls, and a 'golden seal' feature for playing cards.

An amusing anecdote revealed how Balatro ended up with 150 Jokers. A miscommunication with publisher Playstack led to the number increasing from 120 to 150, which Local Thunk ultimately decided was a better fit for the game.

Lastly, Local Thunk shared the origin of his developer name. Inspired by a conversation with his partner about variable naming in programming, he chose "Local Thunk" as a humorous nod to programming terminology.

For those interested in the full story behind Balatro, Local Thunk's blog provides a wealth of information. IGN has praised Balatro, awarding it a 9/10 and describing it as a deck-builder that captivates players, potentially disrupting entire weekends with its addictive gameplay.