Choose Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want the Color Alternatives side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Balatro vs Joey's Nightmare II
Balatro and Joey's Nightmare II both land in Strategy, 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 Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam. Balatro (2024) is 2 years older than Joey's Nightmare II (2026). Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Joey's Nightmare II (89.7% 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 Joey's Nightmare II
Choose Joey's Nightmare II if you want an Adventure and Early Access game with Adjustable Difficulty and Save Anytime. On Steam, it's currently about 57% cheaper on the Steam Store. Joey's Nightmare II launched in 2026.
Both Balatro and Joey's Nightmare II sit in Strategy, Indie, 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 |  Joey's Nightmare II | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 6.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) | 89.7% positive (29 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LocalThunk | A* Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Balatro (2024) is 2 years older than Joey's Nightmare II (2026).
- Balatro scores higher on Steam reviews (98.1% positive) than Joey's Nightmare II (89.7% positive).
- Joey's Nightmare II is currently ~57% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (6.39 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Balatro is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Joey's Nightmare II has no Deck rating yet.
Balatro vs Joey's Nightmare II — FAQ
- Should I play Balatro or Joey's Nightmare II first?
- If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before Joey's Nightmare II (2026). 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 Joey's Nightmare II similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, 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.
- Does Balatro run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Balatro is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Joey's Nightmare II doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.