My path to 100%ing Balatro
22 days ago
- The author spent over 300 hours 100% completing Balatro, which was their favorite game of 2024 due to its addictive deckbuilding poker roguelike mechanics.
- A multiple sclerosis diagnosis in late 2024 made physically demanding games difficult; Balatro became a low-energy comfort game that accommodated their pace.
- Key strategies for gold staking decks included resetting for skip tags to get buffed Jokers and pivoting to the powerful Photochad combo (Hanging Chad + Photograph).
- To earn gold stickers on all 150 Jokers, the author used Anaglyph Deck for farming negative Jokers via skip tags, then switched to Ghost Deck for Hex and spectral cards.
- They completed the hardest challenge, Jokerless, by focusing on deck fixing and five-of-a-kind hands, and consider it a milestone.
- Despite nearing completion (only nine Jokers left), the author realized the intense focus on 100%ing the game was unhealthy, likening it to a casino trap.
- They plan to delete Balatro after achieving 100% completion to redirect energy toward new, healthier pursuits given their disability.