Balatro dev swings at PEGI for rating it 18+ because of its 'evil playing cards', jokes that he should 'add microtransactions' like EA Sports FC 25 to 'lower that rating to a 3+'

GamesRoguelikeBalatroBalatro dev swings at PEGI for rating it 18+ because of its ‘evil playing cards’, jokes that he should ‘add microtransactions’ like EA Sports FC 25 to ‘lower that rating to a 3+‘When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: LocalThunk)

Balatro�s Jimbo looks none too pleased as he holds up a card in a black-leathered hand.

While I joke plenty about Balatro being a secret psychic prison that’s claimed the minds, heart, and souls of about half of PC Gamer’s staff, it’s only in jest. Balatro is, up and down, exceedingly solid value for money—a modestly-priced indie game without microtransactions or paid DLC and, despite its poker aesthetic,zero interest in promoting gambling behaviour. Unless you ask the Pan-European Gaming Information rating system, which has rated it 18+.

Balatro’s developer, LocalThunk, took to X late last week to tear into the decision,writing: “Since PEGI gave us an 18+ rating for having evil playing cards, maybe I should add microtransactions/loot boxes/real gambling to lower that rating to 3+ like EA sports FC.”

The hypocrisy that LocalThunk decryeth is the fact thatEA Sports FC 25, a game with microtransactions in the form of “random card packs and other game items”, is apparently suitable for 3 year olds. Looking into it, the game does at least appear to outright tell you the odds of getting players in its various packs—but the point still stands that one of these games has you actually ‘gambling’ with real money, the other does not.

“Just to clear it up,“LocalThunk adds, “I’m way more irked at the 3+ for these games with actual gambling mechanics for children than I am about Balatro having an 18+ rating. If these other games were rated properly, I’d happily accept the weirdo 18+. The red logo looks kinda dope.”

Now, to play devil’s advocate, here, PEGI’s rating is at least internally consistent. As per therating system’s site, as of 2020, a game that could be considered to “encourage or teach gambling” is an automatic 18+. Balatro does, technically, teach yousomeof the basic rules of poker—even if it has precious little to do with the actual game itself—whereas you can’t get your lootbox fix outside of the game you’re playing. It’s not like real-life casinos are offering pulls on D.Va skins.

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I think you could make a very strong argument that PEGI’s rating system is a little antiquated, here, especially if loot boxes have strong links to real-world gambling conditions—what’s more dangerous, a game that teaches you some rules for a real-world gambling card game without the gambling element, or a game that has you paying real-world money for footie gacha? Or actual gacha.Genshin Impact has a rating of 12+.

I especially feel for LocalThunk here, considering the guy’s so anti-gambling he’s got it in hiswillthatcasinos can’t make copies of his game. Hedoesn’t even like poker all that much—me either, for the record, though I adore Balatro, even if I am cursed with incredibly bad luck. I just needed a four, man. I had, like, three in my deck. This is why I don’t go to Vegas.

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