Balatro, the hit poker-inspired roguelike deckbuilder, has hit 1 million sales within its first month of release. Publisher Playstack also revealed a mobile version is in development.

Created by solo developer LocalThunk, Balatro is a roguelike tasking players to play poker hands to fulfill score criteria and advance a series of rounds. Along the way, they’ll spend money to augment their deck with new cards with special effects while collecting powerful Jokers that bestow a wide range of passive and trigger abilities.  

The game has earned widespread acclaim and popularity since launching on February 20. I awarded it a 9.5 out of 10, writing in my review, “Balatro is an ingenious and entertaining roguelike and one of my favorite games of the year. Playing it has become a near-obsession; everything feels perfectly designed to encourage you to keep trying because that next run could be the run of your life. Even after hours of play, I still can’t overcome Balatro’s biggest challenge: putting it down.”

In a press release announcing the 1 million milestone, LocalThunk writes, 

“I'm so grateful to all the players and people that have made this happen. I still can't grasp the response to this game, and I am overjoyed that so many people have been able to have fun with my silly creation. I'm so fortunate that I can continue working on my passion as a career. Thank you!”

Balatro is currently available for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC. There’s no release window for the impending mobile versions.

Update, 3/19/24:

The 1.6 Patch is now live, and it's a doozy. If you want to read the patch notes in their entirety, which includes new content, balance updates, visual improvements, and more, you can do that right here.

The original story continues below...

Eight years after its official launch, Stardew Valley remains one of the most popular games on the market right now, which is no surprise; whether you're marrying a neighbor, farming crops, or toiling away in the mines, it's a game with something for everyone. Its creator, solo developer ConcernedApe, has updated it with plenty of free patches over the years, adding multiplayer, new farm types, and more, but when he moved on to work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, the Stardew updates came to an end. That is, until today.

1.6 was announced almost a year ago and promises to add a number of new features, including hats on pets and the highly coveted iridium scythe. Here's an image of some of the planned updates from last September.

As the release draws closer, ConcernedApe has also teased smaller updates as well, leaving small patch notes on his X account each day. The patch will fix the sword's downward hitbox, make sure harvesting is the same speed walking right-to-left as left-to-right, and pickles, jellies, juices, and wines will be colored to match their fruit or vegetable of origin. Finally, you can drink mayonnaise. Yeah, you read that right.

Some more updates are included as images below.

In addition to the new content, ConcernedApe says he wanted to update the game to make modding "easier and more powerful." On that note, he recently announced that many existing mods are already updated for the new version, though he recommends trying the patch without mods first. There will also be an option to keep your game in the 1.5.6 patch if you don't want any of the changes.

Stardew Valley's 1.6 patch launches later today on PC, with mobile and console updates coming sometime in the future.

Will you be jumping back into Stardew Valley? Let us know in the comments!

The remake of the 1997 classic Riven is officially launching later this year. This modern facelift of the acclaimed sequel to Myst is also coming to VR.

Developed by Cyan Worlds, a team led by the masterminds of the original game, Riven is being remade from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. First announced in 2022, the game is promised to be a faithful homage that leverages modern tech to allow for immersive visuals, free movement, expanded storytelling, and new puzzles. Check out its latest teaser trailer below. 

Riven: The Sequel to Myst was first released in 1997 and has been hailed as a PC classic of the era. It's so beloved that an existing fan-driven remake, The Starry Expanse Project, was already in the works when Cyan Worlds announced this remake. Recognizing their efforts, Cyan Worlds worked with The Starry Expanse to incorporate their efforts into this official remake. 

Outside of PC, it's unclear which platforms, VR or otherwise, Riven will target. To keep up with similar projects, check out our Big List of Upcoming Video Game Remakes.