Introduction: A Journey Through Game Development
Balatro, the much-anticipated deck-building roguelike game, has captured the attention of gamers and developers alike. Its creator, Local Thunk, recently shared an in-depth look at the game’s development on his personal blog, revealing some unconventional choices that shaped its creation. Surprisingly, he admits to avoiding most roguelike games during the development process—except for one iconic title: Slay the Spire.
A Conscious Choice: Avoiding Influences
In his development timeline, Local Thunk explained that from December 2021 onward, he made a deliberate decision to steer clear of other roguelike games. He clarified, “This was not because I thought it would result in a better game, but because making games is my hobby. I wanted to explore roguelike and deckbuilder design without being influenced by established games.”
The developer expressed a desire to embrace the learning process, stating, “I wanted to make mistakes and reinvent the wheel. Borrowing from existing designs would have compromised the excitement of creating something unique.”
Breaking the Rule: The Allure of Slay the Spire
Fast forward a year and a half, and Local Thunk found himself breaking his self-imposed rule. He downloaded Slay the Spire to investigate how it handled controller inputs for card games, a technical challenge he was facing. To his surprise, he became completely absorbed in the game. “Thank goodness I avoided playing it until now,” he remarked, “because I surely would have ended up copying their incredible design, whether intentionally or subconsciously.”
Development Insights: Naming and Features
Local Thunk’s blog post is filled with intriguing insights about the game’s development. For instance, he humorously noted that he initially named the production folder “CardGame” and never changed it. The working title, “Joker Poker,” was used throughout much of the game’s development before settling on the final name.
He also shared details about several scrapped features that could have added unique dimensions to Balatro, including:
– A version where players could only upgrade cards in their decks through a pseudo-shop mechanism, allowing for multiple upgrades.
– A separate currency for rerolls beyond a standard percentage.
– A “golden seal” feature that would return played cards back to the hand when all blinds are skipped.
150 Jokers: A Miscommunication Adventure
One particularly amusing anecdote involved the decision to include 150 Jokers in Balatro. During a meeting with his publisher, Playstack, Local Thunk mentioned “120 Jokers.” Later, he heard someone reference “150 Jokers” and couldn’t remember if he had misspoken or if they had misheard him. Ultimately, he decided that 150 was a much more appealing number and added 30 more Jokers to the game.
The Origin of the Name: Local Thunk
The name “Local Thunk” has a charming backstory rooted in programming humor. Local Thunk explained, “My partner was learning to code in R and asked me how I named my variables. I went on a rant about naming conventions, and she simply said, ‘I like to call mine thunk.’ I found it hilarious.” The term “local” is a nod to the variable declaration style in Lua, and thus, Local Thunk was born.
Conclusion: A Game Worth Exploring
For those interested in the making of Balatro, Local Thunk’s blog offers a treasure trove of fascinating details. IGN has already praised Balatro, giving it a 9/10 rating and describing it as “A deck-builder of endlessly satisfying proportions.” Gamers may find themselves losing track of time as they dive into the whimsical world of Balatro, tempted by the call of just one more run.
With a creative approach that emphasizes exploration and innovation, Local Thunk has crafted a game that stands out in an ever-evolving genre.
