Choose Balatro
Choose Balatro if you want a Strategy game with Color Alternatives and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 99,852 Steam reviews back the pick.
Balatro vs Slime Soup
Balatro and Slime Soup 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 2 years older than Slime Soup (2026). Slime Soup scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Balatro (98.1% 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 Slime Soup
Choose Slime Soup if you want the #category_playable_at_your_own_pace side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 83% cheaper on the Steam Store. Slime Soup launched in 2026.
Both Balatro and Slime Soup sit in Indie and Casual on Steam and both list Playable without Timed Input, Mouse Only Option, and Touch Only Option, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (98.1% vs 100% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Balatro |  Slime Soup | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2026 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 2.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.1% positive (99,852 reviews) | 100% positive (14 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | LocalThunk | VANDERMAESEN GAMES |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Casual on Steam.
- Balatro (2024) is 2 years older than Slime Soup (2026).
- Slime Soup scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Balatro (98.1% positive).
- Slime Soup is currently ~83% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (2.49 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Balatro is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Slime Soup has no Deck rating yet.
Balatro vs Slime Soup — FAQ
- Should I play Balatro or Slime Soup first?
- If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before Slime Soup (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 Slime Soup 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.
- Does Balatro run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Balatro is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Slime Soup doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.