Balatro is my game of the year
Incredibly addictive indie game deserves every accolade it gets
Everyone loves an underdog, and indie game Balatro almost had a storybook ending earlier this month. Nominated for multiple awards at The Game Awards 2024, the poker-themed rogue-like deckbuilder was in the running for the big one — Game of the Year.
Balatro ultimately failed to snag the top prize — Game of the Year went to Astro Bot, which fully deserved its win, despite what some may think — but it still won three awards, including Best Indie Game and Best Mobile Game. It’s an incredible achievement for a game created by one man, LocalThunk.
While I didn’t play all of the games nominated this year, I did play four of the six Game of the Year nominees. And Balatro is my pick. Despite coming late to the game, I was instantly hooked. What LocalThunk did was pure alchemy. He took poker, a game that most folks are familiar with, and transmuted it into a deckbuilder. It’s the perfect gateway game for those new to this genre. In fact, just about everyone I introduced Balatro to, has loved it from the start. And I was as thrilled as any fan when the Game Awards orchestra played Balatro’s earworm of a soundtrack — btw, this jazz rendition is amazing.
Honourable mentions for Metaphor: ReFantazio for its storytelling and unique art style, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree for being one of the best DLCs ever made. Meanwhile, Path of Exile 2 and Helldivers 2 hit the spot when it comes to online multiplayer games, and have quickly garnered a huge audience.
Lastly, it’s probably more important than ever to have success stories like Balatro. Given the mass layoffs and studio closures that have severely impacted the video games industry in recent years, Balatro is a reminder that great games — with some luck, of course — will rise to the top. Hopefully, studio executives will keep that in mind, and not waste millions chasing trends. Please don’t dismiss a good idea because it didn’t tick some boxes (or have loot boxes).
We’ll also be talking about the gadgets that impressed us the most at canbuyornot.com, so keep a lookout for that. And in our reviews this week, we tested Sony’s new, more secure mid-range earbuds, tried a budget cordless stick vacuum from local brand Sterra, and fried up a ton of food using EuropAce’s latest air fryer.
Thanks to new silicone hooks — dubbed air fitting supporters — the Sony LinkBuds Fit stays securely in your ear, despite having short nozzles that don’t go deep into the ear canal. The latter means that these earbuds are more comfortable than many others, though at the expense of sound isolation. Sony has also equipped the LinkBuds Fit with a ton of features, and the sound is good for the price.
The Sterra Flow Pro is a budget cordless stick cleaner that does a decent job, and comes with a full complement of accessories. There are some downsides — it feels unbalanced when used with its accessories, while its trigger button is a bit misleading. But for its affordable S$189 price, we can live with these quirks.
For those who want an healthier option to frying your food, the EuropAce TrueSteam adds steaming to its repertoire. It comes with a water tank for this function, making it a good multi-purpose kitchen appliance. You can also steam to cook the food, before frying it for flavour. However, the steam feature does mean it costs more than the typical air fryer.