Summary
- Balatro is on Apple TV, but it’s not fantastic.
- Cross-progression is crucial for players.
- The Apple TV is underappreciated for gaming.
Indie darling Balatro was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards, and while it didn’t come home with the ultimate prize, there’s no denying the impact it’s had on a lot of people. I picked it up on day one on Steam and put 20 hours into it during the first week. While I’ve slowed down significantly since then, I recently decided to give it a revisit.
After putting even more hours into the Steam version, I decided I wanted to try out the Apple Arcade port for a change of pace.
Balatro
LocalThunk’s Balatro is a deck-building roguelike that uses poker as a launchpad to create something that offers endless possibilities.Override
- Released
- February 20, 2024
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
Since Balatro doesn’t require a lot of power to run, it’s a solid way to play the game. You can connect a controller to your Apple TV and play just like it’s a console. Although a controller isn’t my preferred way of playing, as I think a mouse or touch screen works better, it gets the job done.
For me, the biggest problem with the game is the fact there’s no cross-progression between the platforms. It’s not an exclusive problem with the Apple TV 4K version, since there’s no cross-progression with any platform at all yet, but it’s a major downside that has me hesitant to recommend another version to somebody unless they’re fine with grinding through the game again.
I know for certain I’d have higher playtime on both the Apple Arcade and on mobile if my progression carried over.
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The thing with rogue-like games is you make a lot of progress with each run, which makes your subsequent runs easier. Balatro is no different — you’ll unlock different deck modifiers to use, more Jokers, and you’ll also have more difficulties to take on as you go. It’s fun to make that progress on a single account, mainly because it shows you how much your hard work pays off.
Not having cross-progression is tough, because although I love the game, it doesn’t feel good to start over. That’s ignoring the fact I’ve already done that on the mobile release, so the Apple Arcade version is my third time having to unlock everything again. I know it takes time to add features like this, especially for an indie developer, but I know for certain I’d have higher playtime on both the Apple Arcade and on mobile if my progression carried over. On the other hand, if you’re starting fresh, the Apple Arcade version on your Apple TV is a fine choice. Personally, I think it’s better on other platforms, but if it’s what works best for you, then go for it.
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Cross progression is something the Balatro developers plan on featuring according to the game’s FAQ page, but it’s not here just yet. I know I’m not alone in wanting it, so it’ll be a great time when it finally arrives.
The Apple TV is solid for gaming
An underrated device
Apple / Vecislavas Popa / Pexels / Pocket-lint
I have to admit, the Apple TV 4K isn’t my first choice when it comes to gaming. My living room has a Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X in it along with the Apple TV 4K, but seeing Balatro available as part of a free Apple Arcade trial got me interested. While I mostly use it to watch TV and movies, seeing an actual game running on a streaming device is cool to see, even if it is Balatro.
The Steam Link app is another solid choice for gamers who don’t want to always sit down at their computer to play. If you have a good internet connection, you can stream games from your PC to your Apple TV from the comfort of your couch. In my specific scenario with Balatro, that’s the better option since my progress would carry over from Steam that way, but I’m not upset that I tried out the Apple Arcade version. Good games deserve to be played, and I’m just glad there are so many options available for people to play Balatro.
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Balatro just picked up its first major Game of the Year award
Balatro, the roguelike card game that has endeared many, has won Apple’s Arcade Game of the Year.
Credit : Source Post
