Balatro’s highly anticipated 2025 gameplay update has been teased continually for many months. The anonymous developer, known as LocalThunk, has been dropping ever-so-slight hints here and there about what it will have. He’s confirmed that it’ll have new Jokers, an overhauled Matador Joker, Wild Card buffs, and changes to the Blue Stake difficulty, but he’s been cautious to confirm too much. There’s still plenty it could contain, so here are five things we want to see in Balatro’s 2025 gameplay update.
Score Calculator
A score calculator would be a controversial feature in Balatro. LocalThunk himself has spoken extensively about the subject, noting that he likes how the current nebulous scoring system is a Rube Goldberg-like machine that adds drama to each hand. A perfect score calculator, according to him, would “make the game less fun for a large contingent of players that enjoy the pageantry of the chips ticking up, the fire, the drama, the excitement when you barely make it past the blind.” However, he did say the criticism from those on the opposite side was “100% warranted” and wishes there was an easy solution.
The solution may not be easy, but there are ways to add a score calculator and satisfy both parties. The first and easiest way would be to add a simple toggle in the options and, crucially, let players know how they may be missing out on the joy that comes with an unexpectedly explosive hand.
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The second would be to make the score calculator a purchasable Voucher. This would act as an opt-in buff, like any of the current Vouchers. Perhaps the second and more powerful version of the Voucher would simply notify players that there is a better hand to deal with their current Joker setup, but not specify how to get it. There are already tedious ways for players to calculate the score if they want, so it’s probably a decent idea to work with them in the future and do so in a way — be it a cheat code, user-created mod, Voucher, or well-messaged option — that doesn’t jeopardize what’s already there.
More Detailed Notifications for Shifting Jokers
So many of the Jokers get across their powers rather succinctly. Pareidolia makes all cards into face cards. Space Joker has a 25% chance to upgrade the next hand. It’s simple stuff.
But some Jokers aren’t so simple. To Do List, for example, yields $4 for a specific hand, but you have to tap the Joker to see what hand. Ancient Joker gives a multiplier for a certain card type and changes every round. Jokers with shifting forms like this should more easily notify the player so they don’t have to tap the card each time to see what’s changed. Perhaps a small pop-up (like the “Eaten!” pop-up that comes after finishing the Popcorn Joker) or a way to subtly change the Joker art would be the small touches that would streamline the user experience when dealing with cards like this.
Get Rid of or Overhaul Purple Stake
Balatro’s difficulties are interesting because of how they change the game and lead to unique strategies. The Black Stake’s unbreakable Eternal Jokers make the Ankh Spectral Card and destructive Jokers like Madness more viable. The Orange Stake’s Perishable Jokers make adaptability key to survival. These can be heavy when all stacked on top of each other, but ultimately a decent challenge.
However, Purple Stake, despite being made easier, is frustrating because it simply just scales the required scores up. There’s no thoughtful counterplay associated with this nor does it add tactical depth. It simply just makes the game harder and is a literal repeat of what Green Stake does, so it’s as unoriginal as it is maddening.
Scaling up the score to this degree swerves into aggravating territory because of how it significantly limits how the game can be played effectively. The scores it requires becomes so steep that it demands a level of synergy and luck that just isn’t feasible most times. Balatro thrives when players can use what’s in front of them to win and make unique builds, but that refreshing level of creativity is just too rare when at Purple Stake or above. It flattens the game down to hunting for “Photochad” or “Baron Mime” builds, when the true strength of the game is being able to succeed with all sorts of Jokers.
Cosmetic Unlocks
The best roguelikes have a consistent string of gameplay upgrades that ensure new items and perks get added to the pot at a satisfying pace. It’s a rewarding drip feed that games like Hades, Dead Cells, and even the No Return mode in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered perfected. However, those three titles also have a steady supply of cosmetic upgrades that give the most hardcore something more to strive for.
Balatro doesn’t quite have the same hook. It still takes a few dozen hours, but there’s not much more to unlock after getting every Joker and Voucher. Having different pieces of background art or deck recolors sounds simple, but would be the slightest carrot on a stick to chase for those who want to keep grinding this roguelike. There have already been a few cosmetic upgrades with the “Friends with Jimbo” updates that have added themed decks around Assassin’s Creed, The Witcher, Bugsnax, and more, but it might be more interesting to gate some of these behind progression and not just unlock them immediately.
Cross Save
The Balatro website confirms that cross-saving is coming to the game, but now is a great time to add the feature since waiting longer and longer lessens its appeal. Balatro’s mobile port, which came out seven months after the initial launch, meant many players likely picked up a second (or third) version in order to have even easier access to the title on a platform it was seemingly made for.
But splitting up progress is not usually ideal, which makes the idea of chipping away at the higher stakes a little less appealing since it would be frustrating to have to do each Gold Stake twice. Full cross-platform saves would alleviate this issue and make for a great way to welcome in this new update and all the new content it will contain.
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