Last year was filled with exceptional games, but one title that truly captured the hearts of players and critics was the indie roguelike, Balatro. Developed by a single person, this game not only received widespread critical acclaim but also achieved astounding commercial success, surpassing 5 million copies sold!

Just over a month ago, the developer, LocalThunk, was celebrating the sale of 3.5 million copies. Remarkably, in the span of about 40 days, Balatro managed to sell an additional 1.5 million copies. This surge can likely be attributed to the "The Game Awards effect," a phenomenon the developer alluded to in a tweet.

Harvey Elliott, CEO of publisher Playstack, described this milestone as an incredible achievement deserving of celebration. He expressed immense pride in both Balatro's developer and the dedicated team at Playstack.

It's evident that nearly a year after its release, Balatro continues to thrive. The card-based roguelike is still receiving updates, featuring exciting collaborations, and recently achieved a new personal record for peak concurrent players on Steam.