Balatro Vs. Slay The Spire: Which Game Is Better? (2024)

The deckbuilding subgenre of the ever-expanding roguelike world is one of the most popular. For a long time, Slay the Spire was the reigning king, with not many games in the same category coming close to stealing the crown.

This is, until Balatro. This deckbuilding roguelike uses poker hands and unique and powerful Joker cards to create exponential combos that will make you feel unstoppable. So, which game is better, Balatro, or Slay the Spire? Here, we'll attempt to answer that very question, ranking each game by specific categories.

7 Replayability - Slay The Spire

Replayability is the name of the game for roguelikes, as the loop of starting a new run, getting as far as you can, and inevitably dying (or succeeding!) is the core mechanic. That means having variation between each run is very important, as otherwise, the game can quickly grow stale.

In terms of replayability, Slay the Spire is the winner here. It has overall more variation, between its four different and unique classes, dozens of build-altering relics, hundreds of cards, and different enemies and bosses you face, every run is different, even after hundreds of runs.

Plus, Slay the Spire has Steam Workshop support, allowing users to create their own content for the game, further expanding its replayability. As it stands, Balatro simply can't keep up in this regard.

6 Visual Style - Balatro

For visuals, Balatro has a much more unique and appealing design. Its CRT effect and hallucinogenic backgrounds make you feel like you're trapped in the game, desperately playing poker hands like a gambler down to his last dollar.

On the other hand, Slay the Spire has a fairly standard fantasy-esque design that isn't necessarily bad, it just isn't anything new. Balatro has a clear artistic cohesion to its design that makes it much more interesting to look at.

5 Deckbuilding - Slay The Spire

This category goes hand in hand with replayability, scoring another point for Slay the Spire. Due to the variation in cards and classes, building an interesting deck is way more fun, varied, and sometimes challenging in Slay the Spire than in Balatro.

In Slay the Spire, every class has several different archetypes to build around. For example, the Silent has the shiv archetype, which is centered around creating tons of low-cost, low-damage attacks that you use to slowly widdle down your opponent. Or, you could choose to go for a poison build, where you stack poison debuffs on the enemy for compounding damage.

In Balatro, it can sometimes feel like you're building your deck the same way each time. Building around a single suit for playing flush hands is almost always a viable strategy, but other types of decks can work too, like playing around a single, buffed-up hand. Getting the right Joker combinations is key, but it can sometimes be difficult to execute how you want.

4 Gameplay - Balatro

Ultimately, which game has better gameplay is entirely up to personal preference. Both games have deep, engaging, and satisfying gameplay loops that will keep you coming back for more. In the minute-to-minute gameplay, Balatro might be just a tad bit more satisfying due to its combo system and sound effects.

When you play your poker hand in Balatro, your chips and Mult will slowly start to count up, going faster the more numbers need to be counted. When you win by a clear shot, your combo counter will light on fire, telling you just how good you're doing. This visual and audio feedback makes Balatro an endless joy to play, and makes getting those necessary Jokers all the more satisfying.

3 Music - Slay The Spire

Although neither game has an outstanding soundtrack, Slay the Spire is the clear winner here by sheer numbers. Balatro has essentially one song that is presented differently depending on where you are in the game, but the general theme is still the same throughout.

Don't get us wrong, Balatro's soundtrack is great for the game and contributes to its overall vibe, but it can get a bit repetitive, especially in longer play sessions. Slay the Spire has a more complete soundtrack with songs for different encounters or locations. For this category, we have to give the point to Slay the Spire due to its larger, more varied soundtrack.

2 Run Length - Balatro

The length of a run in any roguelike can impact its replayability. Balatro and Slay the Spire both have average run times of around 40 minutes, but this can be much shorter in Balatro thanks to its Skip Blind system. Essentially, every time you are faced with a Small Blind or Big Blind, instead of fighting it you have the option to skip it, granting a Tag that can provide a variety of effects.

This means once you get your build up and running, you can essentially skip through every fight except for the Boss Blinds. Even then, if you know what you're doing and have a strong enough deck, it may only take one hand to defeat the Boss Blind and move on. Overall, Balatro has the potential for much shorter runs, which could be a positive or negative depending on what type of player you are.

1 Conclusion

When it comes down to which game is better, it's ultimately up to you to decide. Slay the Spire has the longevity, polish, and wealth of content due to its age, while Balatro is a new and interesting take on the roguelike deckbuilding genre. If you're trying to decide between either of these two games to play, consider the pros of each.