Choose Reign of the Renegade
Choose Reign of the Renegade if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Reign of the Renegade launched in 2023.
Reign of the Renegade vs Balatro
Reign of the Renegade 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. Reign of the Renegade (2023) is 1 year older than Balatro (2024). Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Reign of the Renegade (86.9% 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 Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Reign of the Renegade and Balatro sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Reign of the Renegade |  Balatro | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 4.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.9% positive (61 reviews) | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Dabuoys | LocalThunk |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Reign of the Renegade (2023) is 1 year older than Balatro (2024).
- Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Reign of the Renegade (86.9% positive).
- Reign of the Renegade is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (4.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Reign of the Renegade is Deck Playable, Balatro is Deck Verified.
Reign of the Renegade vs Balatro — FAQ
- Should I play Reign of the Renegade or Balatro first?
- If you want chronology, Reign of the Renegade (2023) 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 Reign of the Renegade 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.