Balatro, a game developed by solo creator LocalThunk, unexpectedly became a 2024 indie sensation, selling over 5 million copies. This achievement significantly impacted the gaming industry, earning accolades and awards at The Game Awards 2024. The success surprised both players and the developer himself.

LocalThunk initially anticipated modest reviews (6-7 out of 10) given the game's unconventional concept. However, a 91/100 score from PC Gamer, followed by similarly positive reviews, propelled Balatro to a 90 Metacritic and OpenCritic rating. This astonished LocalThunk, who admitted he'd personally rate the game an 8.

Playstack, the publisher, contributed significantly through proactive pre-release press engagement. Yet, word-of-mouth marketing proved the true sales catalyst, exceeding projections by 10-20 times. The game's Steam launch saw 119,000 copies sold within the first 24 hours—an experience LocalThunk described as surreal.

The overwhelming success led LocalThunk to admit he lacks a universal recipe for replicating Balatro's achievement for other indie developers.