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Balatro vs The Drawn Hour

Balatro and The Drawn Hour 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 The Drawn Hour (2026). The Drawn Hour is currently ~47% cheaper on Steam than Balatro (7.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD). 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 the Color Alternatives, Custom Volume Controls, and Playable without Timed Input 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.

Choose The Drawn Hour

Choose The Drawn Hour if you want an Early Access game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 47% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Drawn Hour launched in 2026.

Both Balatro and The Drawn Hour sit in Strategy, 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 vs The Drawn Hour — Steam metadata comparison
Balatro — Steam game coverBalatroThe Drawn Hour — Steam game coverThe Drawn Hour
Released20242026
GenresStrategy, Indie, CasualStrategy, Indie, Casual, Early Access
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows, Linux
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price14.99 USD7.99 USD
Steam reviews98.1% positive (99,852 reviews)—
MultiplayerSingle-player onlyMulti-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op
DevelopersLocalThunkAriel Brambila Pelayo

Side by side

Balatro vs The Drawn Hour — FAQ

Should I play Balatro or The Drawn Hour first?
If you want chronology, Balatro (2024) came out before The Drawn Hour (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 The Drawn Hour 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 have multiplayer like The Drawn Hour?
No. The Drawn Hour supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while Balatro is listed as single-player only.
Does Balatro run on Steam Deck?
Yes — Balatro is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Drawn Hour doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.