Beyond Balatro: The Playstack Success Story

LocalThunk's Balatro revolutionized the indie gaming scene in 2024 with its unique blend of roguelike and poker elements, captivating players and earning the Best Debut Game award at the BAFTAs. This triumph, along with the success of Mortal Shell, Abiotic Factor, and The Golden Idol series, has significantly boosted Playstack's revenue, which soared by 455% in 2024. With upcoming titles like Unbeatable, Lorn Vale, and Void Breaker, Playstack continues to diversify its portfolio. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Harvey Elliott, Playstack's CEO, shares insights into the company's approach to publishing, the lessons learned from Balatro's success, and the strategy for discovering new hits. Elliott emphasizes that Balatro's success has validated Playstack's mission to find and support exceptional games, regardless of genre, and that the company remains committed to working closely with developers to bring their vision to life. When asked about the impact of trends on Playstack's strategy, Elliott notes that while trends can inspire innovation, simply following them without adding something new is not a viable approach. Instead, Playstack focuses on finding games that bring something unique to the table. The company's deliberate approach to game selection and its willingness to take calculated risks have contributed to its success. Elliott also discusses the importance of extending the life of successful games like Balatro, ensuring that updates and new releases are carefully considered to maintain the game's integrity and appeal. The discovery team's role is to find great games, regardless of genre, and to identify opportunities where Playstack can make a meaningful difference. The company's pipeline has not changed significantly, with a focus on quality over quantity, and Elliott expects to release between six and eight games per year. With the Switch 2 on the horizon, Playstack is excited about the opportunities it presents for new releases and its existing catalogue, and plans to support the platform with tailored iterations of its games.