Roguelike Deckbuilder Balatro Gets New Age Rating

The roguelike deckbuilder game Balatro, originally rated PEGI 3, has been reclassified to PEGI 18 due to its depiction of gambling, despite the developer's intentions to avoid gambling mechanics. The game, which allows players to collect cards that can change the rules of Poker, including illegal poker hands and combos, is currently not available for purchase on the Switch but has returned for sale on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Publisher Playstack voiced their disagreement over the new age rating on social media, emphasizing their anti-gambling stance and considerable efforts to prevent any gambling mechanisms in the game.

Balatro's new PEGI 18 rating was given due to "prominent images of gambling" depicted in the game. This change from its initial PEGI 3 rating has affected its availability on various platforms, notably making it temporarily unavailable on the Nintendo Switch.

Balatro offers a unique twist to the classic card game of Poker by introducing roguelike elements and an array of cards that can dramatically alter gameplay. This novel approach to card game mechanics juxtaposed with traditional Poker gameplay has piqued the interest of both card game aficionados and fans of roguelike games, offering a fresh experience to the genre. Despite the controversy surrounding its age rating, Balatro's innovative design continues to captivate a growing audience.