Choose Inscryption
Choose Inscryption if you want an Adventure experience. 74,873 Steam reviews back the pick.
Inscryption vs Balatro
Inscryption and Balatro both land in Strategy, Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam. Inscryption (2021) is 3 years older than Balatro (2024). Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Inscryption (96.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want a Casual game with Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Inscryption and Balatro sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (96.9% vs 98.1% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Inscryption |  Balatro | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.9% positive (74,873 reviews) | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Daniel Mullins Games | LocalThunk |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Inscryption (2021) is 3 years older than Balatro (2024).
- Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Inscryption (96.9% positive).
- Balatro is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Inscryption (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Inscryption is Deck Playable, Balatro is Deck Verified.
Inscryption vs Balatro — FAQ
- Which is better, Inscryption or Balatro?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Inscryption sits at 96.9% positive (74,873 reviews), Balatro at 98.1% (99,852). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Inscryption or Balatro first?
- If you want chronology, Inscryption (2021) came out before Balatro (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Inscryption and Balatro similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.