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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Balatro creator LocalThunk has described the game’s success as both life-changing and difficult. In interviews published in 2024, he expressed gratitude for being able to make games for a living while also missing the quieter days when Balatro was a solitary hobby. His comments reflect that period; they do not establish how he feels about the game’s success today.
What LocalThunk said about Balatro’s success
During a verified r/Games AMA around the game’s launch, a reader asked LocalThunk how he was handling its success. He replied: “It hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m just trying to take it a day at a time and not forget the reason I wanted to make this game in the first place. I love game dev and this is what I want to do as a career, so I am very grateful!”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Balatro: Special Edition - For Nintendo Switch | $34.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Balatro Special Edition - Compatible for NS - UK PAL | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Hello Neighbor - Nintendo Switch | $19.22 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
That response captures the balance in his later remarks: appreciation for the opportunity, alongside a desire to stay connected to the creative reasons he started making the game.
Why success made work more complicated
In an email interview published by The Washington Post on September 26, 2024, LocalThunk said he tried not to dwell on awards or attention. “It’s certainly incredible that people are considering my weird little game for that accolade [game of the year], but I try not to think about it too much,” he said.
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He described criticism as potentially useful for understanding how players interact with a game, but also as a distraction. For him, making games for himself remained more fulfilling than praise: “I really love actually making games for myself more than anything, so I’m thrilled I was even able to create ‘Balatro’ in the first place and that I am able to enjoy it.”
The same interview described a more hectic working life after Balatro took off. “Things have definitely become a lot busier and more hectic,” he said. Public-relations and business-related tasks were unfamiliar work, and the mobile port had occupied much of his time in the months before its release. He also described pressure to get it out while the game was popular. Those details concern the 2024 mobile-launch period, rather than a confirmed account of his workload now.
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He missed the hobby, but said he was grateful
In a December 12, 2024 report, GameSpot quoted LocalThunk’s response to a question in a GQ interview about whether he might have been happier if he had never released Balatro publicly. “Honestly, yeah,” he said, then qualified the answer: “Don’t get me wrong–this has changed my life in a lot of amazing ways. I’m so grateful. But I do miss that time before. It was just a hobby that recharged my batteries. Sometimes I think, ‘Maybe I would’ve been happier if I had never released this game to the public.’”
The qualification matters. His thought about a quieter alternative did not erase his gratitude; both feelings appeared in the same answer. The contrast was between making Balatro as a personal, restorative hobby and living with the responsibilities that followed its public success.
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Balatro’s sales figures are historical snapshots
The scale of the success helps explain the change in circumstances, but reported sales figures need their dates attached:
- Game Informer reported on March 21, 2024, that Balatro had sold one million copies about a month after release.
- The Washington Post reported on September 26, 2024, that the game had sold two million copies since its February release.
These are milestones reported at those times, not current sales totals.
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What is known about LocalThunk’s feelings now
The interviews and AMA offer dated snapshots from 2024. They show a creator who was grateful for a career in game development and the impact of Balatro, while missing the privacy and recharge of making it as a hobby. They do not establish what LocalThunk thinks about the game’s success in 2026.
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