Choose Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want an Indie game with Color Alternatives and Touch Only Option. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Balatro vs Arrogue
Balatro and Arrogue both land in Strategy, Casual 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, Casual on Steam. Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than Arrogue (2025). Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Arrogue (71.7% 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 Arrogue
Choose Arrogue if you want an Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards, Camera Comfort, and Adjustable Difficulty. On Steam, it's currently about 30% cheaper on the Steam Store. Arrogue launched in 2025.
Both Balatro and Arrogue sit in Strategy and Casual on Steam and both list Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Mouse Only Option, 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
 Balatro |  Arrogue | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 11.99 USD | 8.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) | 71.7% positive (60 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LocalThunk | PIPAPOU |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Casual on Steam.
- Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than Arrogue (2025).
- Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Arrogue (71.7% positive).
- Arrogue is currently ~30% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (8.39 USD vs. 11.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Balatro is Deck Verified, Arrogue is Deck Playable.
Balatro vs Arrogue — FAQ
- Should I play Balatro or Arrogue first?
- If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before Arrogue (2025). 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 Balatro and Arrogue similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Casual 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.