Frequent readers (and why wouldn't you be?) may recall one of the more peculiar stories from last year involving Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, which was initially classified as PEGI 18 by rating boards. This classification placed it on the same level as mature titles like Grand Theft Auto, much to the confusion of many, including the developer.
However, it appears that PEGI has recognized their mistake and has reclassified Balatro to the more suitable (in my opinion) PEGI 12 rating. According to developer Localthunk, who shared the news on Twitter, this change came about partly due to an appeal from Balatro's publisher to the ratings board.
This isn't the first time Balatro has faced scrutiny from external organizations. It was also temporarily removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns over perceived gambling content. This occurred despite the fact that players cannot win real money or place bets, and the only use of currency in the game is an abstract method to purchase more cards within each run.
The house always wins
One of the main reasons Balatro received its initial rating was due to its depiction of gambling-adjacent imagery. Essentially, the concern was that players might learn what a straight flush or a flush is, which was seen as equivalent to the more violent content in games like GTA.
This misclassification has also affected Balatro's availability on other platforms, such as mobile, where in-app transactions are commonplace. While a late correction is better than none, it's clear that the initial rating should never have been applied.
If this news is finally convincing you to give Balatro a try, why not check out our tier list of Jokers? It will help you determine which of these game-changing cards are worth your attention and which ones you might want to skip.
