Balatro, the 2024 breakout hit selling over 3.5 million copies and earning multiple Game Awards, maintains immense popularity. However, seasoned players might seek ways to revitalize their gameplay. While mods offer one solution, accessing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, preserving achievements. This guide details how to enable and utilize this cheat menu.
Quick Links
Enabling Cheats in Balatro
To activate Balatro's debug menu, you'll need 7-Zip (free, open-source software). Locate your Balatro installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro). If unsure, find Balatro in your Steam library, right-click, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."
Right-click Balatro.exe and choose to open the archive with 7-Zip (may be under "Show More Options"). Locate conf.lua and open it with a text editor (like Notepad).
Change _RELEASE_MODE = true to _RELEASE_MODE = false, save the file. If saving fails, extract conf.lua to your desktop, make the change, and replace the original. The debug menu is now accessible by holding the Tab key in-game. To disable, revert the _RELEASE_MODE parameter to true.
Using the Debug Menu in Balatro
The Balatro cheat menu is user-friendly. Unlock collectibles by hovering and pressing '1'; spawn jokers by hovering and pressing '3'. Initially limited to five jokers, pressing 'Q' four times on a joker in your hand transforms it into a negative, effectively allowing unlimited jokers.
All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)
| Cheat / Key | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unlock a Collectible (while hovering) |
| 2 | Discover a Collectible (while hovering) |
| 3 | Spawn a Collectible (while hovering) |
| Q | Change Joker Edition (while hovering in hand) |
| H | Isolate Background |
| J | Play Splash Animation |
| 8 | Toggle Cursor |
| 9 | Toggle All Tooltips |
| $10 | Adds $10 to Total |
| +1 Round | Increases Round by 1 |
| +1 Ante | Increases Ante by 1 |
| +1 Hand | Adds one Hand |
| +1 Discard | Adds one Discard |
| Boss Reroll | Rerolls the Boss |
| Background | Removes Background |
| +10 Chips | Adds 10 Chips |
| +10 Mult | Adds 10 Mult |
| X2 Chips | Doubles Chip Total |
| X10 Mult | Increases Mult by 10 |
| Win this Run | Completes Current Run |
| Lose this Run | Ends Current Run |
| Reset | Resets Current Run |
| Jimbo | Makes Jimbo Appear |
| Jimbo Talk | Makes Jimbo Text Box Appear |
