The creator of the popular game Balatro is upset because the game’s age rating was suddenly changed from 3+ to 18+ by the Pan European Game Information board (PEGI). They mentioned that the game was temporarily taken down from some online stores due to the presence of gambling themes.
Despite the controversy, localthunk remains dedicated to developing the game. They announced that a mobile version of Balatro is in the works. They plan to incorporate features like run history, daily challenges, and even physical merchandise while focusing on accessibility and emergent experiences rather than complex mechanics.
In a Reddit AMA, developer localthunk said the rating is unjustified (Thanks, Eurogamer). He found it particularly troubling that other games containing real gambling mechanics aren’t held to the same standard. They’re not wrong. Many other games do tend to get away with gambling, and they have real-world money involved.
“I still believe that the rating is unwarranted, but there is some grey area for interpretation from PEGI and at this point it is what it is. I think the one thing I am most disappointed by is the fact that other games with actual gambling mechanics aren’t rated the same way because of their appearance/theme.”
localthunk
This sudden change in the game’s rating is surprising, especially since the developer had previously worked with PEGI to change the rating from 18+ to 3+. PEGI had mentioned that they found no gambling themes in the game. However, despite no changes to the game, the rating has changed again.
Since launching on Steam in February, Balatro has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The developer has expressed gratitude for the support, but this rating change is a big blow. They mentioned that they are still dealing with the situation and taking it one day at a time.
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