Frequent readers might recall the surprising news from last year when Balatro, the innovative roguelike deckbuilder, was initially slapped with a PEGI 18 rating by the ratings board. This classification placed it alongside heavyweights like Grand Theft Auto in terms of content, leaving many, including the game's developer, utterly baffled.
However, in a welcome turn of events, PEGI has reevaluated and reclassified Balatro, now designating it as PEGI 12. This more fitting rating was announced by developer Localthunk on Twitter, following an appeal from the game's publisher to the ratings board. This adjustment puts Balatro on more even footing, aligning it more closely with its actual content.
Balatro has previously faced challenges from external organizations; it was temporarily removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over gambling content. Yet, the game does not allow players to win real money or place bets. The use of cash within the game is purely abstract, serving only to purchase more cards during gameplay.
The initial PEGI 18 rating stemmed from concerns over gambling-adjacent imagery within Balatro. Ironically, the game's inclusion of elements like straight flushes and flushes was seen as potentially harmful, akin to depicting vehicular homicide in GTA.
This misclassification also affected Balatro's availability on mobile platforms, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases across many apps. While it's reassuring to see the rating corrected, it's frustrating that such a mistake occurred in the first place.
If you're now considering giving Balatro a try, why not check out our tier list of Jokers? It'll help you understand which of these game-changing cards are worth your attention and which ones you might want to skip.
