I haven’t engaged with Balatro in months, not out of fatigue, but rather a desire to step back from the immersive experience that had consumed countless hours of my time. The allure of LocalThunk’s creation was so captivating that I found myself in a chip-counting stupor. Now, however, I harbor a slight apprehension that even a brief encounter with its ‘mult’ meter could pull me back into its synth-scored embrace.
Instead, I have turned my attention to the demo of a new indie game titled This Ain’t Even Poker, Ya Joker, and I can already sense the minutes slipping away like grains of sand through my fingers.
Game Mechanics and Features
Developed by Mash, This Ain’t Even Poker, Ya Joker artfully blends the familiar rules of poker with the idle game mechanics reminiscent of popular titles like Cookie Clicker, Adventure Capitalist, and Trimps. The game departs from traditional poker strategy, opting instead for a focus on sheer numerical growth.
- You begin by flipping a single card, earning cash based on its value.
- This initial windfall allows you to purchase a second card, enabling the formation of pairs, which yield greater rewards.
- As you progress, a full row of five cards unlocks even more lucrative hands.
With sufficient funds, players can invest in additional decks—second, third, or even fourth. Naturally, the game encourages you to delegate card flipping to minions, although personal involvement garners bonuses. As your wealth accumulates, the constraints of the five-card limit dissolve, allowing for extravagant hands that defy conventional poker rules.
But the excitement doesn’t end there. Players can dispatch minions on expeditions to acquire “otherworldly cards,” which offer unique advantages. Some cards may span multiple suits or represent several numbers, while others enhance your score under specific conditions.
Among the engaging features is an ascension mode, a staple of clicker games. By striking a deal with the enigmatic Jester, players can wipe their progress clean in exchange for powerful Poker Chips. These chips unlock formidable upgrades that expedite future runs, propelling players to new heights of numerical achievement. Before you know it, the clock strikes 1 AM, and you’re left wondering how the hours vanished. And this is merely the demo… oh no.
A demo for This Ain’t Even Poker, Ya Joker is currently available on Steam. The full game is slated for release by the end of 2025. Visit the platform to download it for free and explore its offerings, but do keep a watchful eye on the time.
