Balatro Creator LocalThunk Talks Inspirations and Jokers

Balatro Creator LocalThunk Talks Inspirations and Jokers | Game Maker's Notebook Podcast

Рет қаралды 20,460

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

Күн бұрын

Trent Kusters chats with Balatro creator LocalThunk. Together they discuss the early titles he created with his friends; the inspirations that led to Balatro; his ideas around design and balance; how real life experiences influenced the Joker designs; and the steps he's taking to ensure Balatro is never conflated with gambling.
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Пікірлер: 58

@philodygmn Ай бұрын

This conversation was far more satisfying a glimpse into LocalThunk’s perspective than other appearances I’ve heard _because of_ how engaged the host was, not despite it, and that’s part of why AIAS episodes have consistently been some of my favorites. It’s not an “Interview(TM)”, it’s a conversation _with_ a _peer_.

@Chief_Tyrol_ Ай бұрын

Thunk needs to accept his awards in full motley attire

@alexnawn8712 Ай бұрын

"I have a special place in my heart for the two banana jokers in the game." KING! 🙏🙏🙏

@Vondakay 27 күн бұрын

I really like this conversation with Local Thunk. I’m very new to the channel and was just looking to hear more from LT at first BUT I was super excited to here Trent host and speak on his own experience. I think it only hyped up LT

@Protomango Ай бұрын

I've always agreed with you both in regards to this theory of cards themselves inherently having power, history, legacy... And even the mention of Tarot cards as well, the planet cards representing astrology. Really I wouldn't be surprised if this is coded in our DNA as humans. Maybe part of the collective unconscious, or something. They're like 1 big hieroglyphic. I sunk 80 hours into Balatro on release week, and I absolutely loved how you implemented the Spectral cards. Very quickly, I happily accepted that I would rather lose the run on my terms than pass up on a spectral pack. Thanks for the interview and thanks for making such a lovely game, LocalThunk. I believe that you tapped into this beautiful power of cards, and it's very clear that it wasn't to advantage of it, but to push it to even greater heights. To put your own spin on it. When I think back on Balatro, it's your take on Jokers, that I remember most fondly. And above all, I enjoyed spectral cards enough to even change my playstyle, as a typically-very-stubborn gamer. And I did it with a smile :)

@asgorne Ай бұрын

I reversed sound engineered localthunks voice and ive actually managed to find out that it was a dream and i dont know how to sound engineer

@revlayle Ай бұрын

Interesting talk about how LocalThunk thinks the skip blind mechanic is the weakest bit of the game. A handful of streamers of Balatro that play gold stake and win a lot almost universally agree that skipping, most of the time, is terrible except for a very few instances (early investment tag or hail marys - or another interesting one: skip when you have Ancient Joker to ensure a suit blocking boss doesn't affect ancient joker, but in that case skipping isn't for the reward, but it is to simply avoid losing). However, the fact that skipping is there to handle those few edge cases is also kind of huge, even for veteran players on higher stakes.

@fastfaps Ай бұрын

Well said, i barely ever skip, but when i do it makes me so happy that its a feature

@sauceinmyface9302 Ай бұрын

I agree. The game has too much opportunity cost for the skips. I personally think this is ok though, it should be more rewarding to play the game rather than skip it. I think instead of the skip system, a system similar to Slay the Spire's map might be better?(ie, a system where you choose between two different encounters for different rewards) Allowing you to choose between two boss blinds, maybe, with each one giving a different voucher in the shop? Or maybe a choice that replaces Big Blind with another Boss Blind for a bonus voucher?

@imperialtutor8687 Ай бұрын

Give me that negative foil!!!!

@Seth6ecko 17 күн бұрын

@@sauceinmyface9302 that's not bad at all but i think the skip system isn't terrible like in early game if i can get a free 25 dollars ill take it or a polychrome i think the gambling aspect of skipping is what makes it stick to the poker theme

@BobbyTomio Ай бұрын

That was lovely! Thank you!

@nintendude794 2 ай бұрын

Oohh, I’ve been wanting more interviews with LocalThunk!

@anaguma90 Ай бұрын

I think LT is smart to stay anonymous. It must be incredibly anxienty-inducing having millions of people suddenly interested in you. Its a whole chunk of stress he's deftly sidestepped.

@shane7776777 Ай бұрын

This was amazing and I definitely think about how I could have saved a run while at work

@Matthijzz13 2 ай бұрын

Pleeeease Trent, let the guest speak! So many random anecdotes throughout LocalThunk's opening of a treasure chest of stories :(

@nintendude794 Ай бұрын

@@Matthijzz13 agreeed

@lambbonesdev Ай бұрын

I actually think he did quite well

@nintendude794 Ай бұрын

@@lambbonesdev overall, the least worst interview of his I’ve seen

@ritwique 5 сағат бұрын

It's a conversation, not a monologue. The interviewer needs to make the other person comfortable so that they share more, and that's only possible if it's a two way street. Trent did that well.

@suros8105 Ай бұрын

Lovely interview

@MythivarYaslana Ай бұрын

Really enjoyed.. Thank you..

@Jack__Sm 2 ай бұрын

My immediate take away from this is that I’ve been pronouncing the name of the game wrong all year

@str00d Ай бұрын

It's pronounced 'balatro'

@NadiaJo3 Ай бұрын

loved it!

@dviant13 16 күн бұрын

Midtown Madness 3 was a favorite game of mine for several years! There still has not come anything like it again. Rockstar did not work on MM, they created a similar (yet very inferior) game named Midnight Club Racing.

@danylomelnyk1012 26 күн бұрын

1:33:40 "I am working on making it impossible for Balatro IP to be used for gambling. It is long complicated legal process" "I bet"

@scrubbybubkinz5264 Ай бұрын

wonder how thunk is gonna handle things if he wins a goty we'll see in 2 days i guess

@PerkinsVR Ай бұрын

It was rigged, BIG GAME couldnt risk a 1 dev game taking the gold and turning the entire industry on its head right at the end of whats been a rough year for the public image of triple A publishers. not to sound conspiratorial or anything, astro bot did look pretty cool

@koppy82 Ай бұрын

@@PerkinsVR Bro, like 40 people worked on Astro Bot. It's by no means a triple A title lol. Sure it's backed by PlayStation but it did not have a giga budget or massive team behind it.

@PerkinsVR Ай бұрын

@@koppy82 astro bot was published by sony, had a 60 person dev team, and has an estimated budget in the ballpark of $70mil, and was sold for $60. balatro was made by one guy (plus a music freelancer to produce the 5 loops that make up the soundtrack), with a budget that was close to zero, and was sold for less than 20 dollars.

@koppy82 Ай бұрын

@@PerkinsVR Yea again like I said, Astro Bot didn't have a huge team or a giga budget lol. It's not some small niche game nor is it some over the top AAA title. I like Balatro a lot but it wasn't game of the year, and I'd argue AstroBot wasn't either but it was closer to that than Balatro or Helldivers 2 was.

@blorglord 16 күн бұрын

@@koppy82wrong

@peddlefiend8062 5 күн бұрын

video starts at 3:35

@skyfuzzball8312 Ай бұрын

Speed up to x2 for the Jimbo experience!

@SplittTwig Ай бұрын

How exactly would one bet on balatro anyway?

@str00d Ай бұрын

Nope!

@adriankylo2339 Ай бұрын

The wheel

@alvesh129 Ай бұрын

On a run?

@Seth6ecko 17 күн бұрын

skipping

@hughjazz5608 Ай бұрын

I'm really curious on how the crokinole game looks

@Smile-ov1us Ай бұрын

look it up. it's basically a big hexagonal board with a small indent in the center and you try to flick discs into the center.

@hughjazz5608 Ай бұрын

@@Smile-ov1us oh I mean the video game he made

@Smile-ov1us Ай бұрын

@@hughjazz5608 oh sorry lul that makes sense. How else would you know how to spell it.

@reallyjolle Ай бұрын

Would you rather hang with the Tom Greene or the Thom Yorke of video games?

@meisterl0 Ай бұрын

18+ rating was justified, do you know how much productivity I've lost on my first couple of weeks playing this? Some people even go as far as delete this game because they got too addicted.

@BingoBlitz55 Ай бұрын

They are weak. After all 99% of Balatro players quit before wheel of fortune polychromes their best joker

@AmareloStudios Ай бұрын

i put in like 40 hours in the first week and had to uninstall, i will come back to it later

@blorglord 15 күн бұрын

thats on you homeboy

@muttglutton 28 күн бұрын

LocalThunk is amazing to listen to! Unfortunately, it’s clear the interviewer wasn’t paying attention at many times (e.g. would just say “Hell yeah” after a long pause). Additionally, the interviewer kept going off on tangents talking about his own career. Please use a different interviewer in the future who isn’t so self-centered.