Choose Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want a Strategy game with Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 98.1% positive across 99,852 reviews.
Balatro vs From The Top
Balatro and From The Top both land in Indie, 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 Indie, Casual on Steam. Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than From The Top (2025). Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than From The Top (86.8% 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 From The Top
Choose From The Top if you want an Action and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's currently about 73% cheaper on the Steam Store. From The Top launched in 2025.
Both Balatro and From The Top sit in Indie and Casual 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
 Balatro |  From The Top | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Action, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 3.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) | 86.8% positive (121 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LocalThunk | JUNKFALL33 |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Balatro (2024) is 1 year older than From The Top (2025).
- Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than From The Top (86.8% positive).
- From The Top is currently ~73% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (3.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Balatro is Deck Verified, From The Top is Deck Playable.
Balatro vs From The Top — FAQ
- Which is better, Balatro or From The Top?
- On Steam reviews Balatro scores higher (98.1% positive) than From The Top (86.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Balatro is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Balatro or From The Top first?
- If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before From The Top (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 From The Top similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.