Deconstructor of Fun How Balatro Became a 7-Million-Copy Indie Hit | Harvey Elliott, CEO of Playstack
Oct 6, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Harvey Elliott, CEO of Playstack and a veteran in indie publishing, shares how Balatro, a one-person poker roguelike, soared to over seven million copies sold. He reveals the importance of aligning developer creativity with publisher support, highlighting the significance of trust in fostering successful partnerships. Elliott also dives into the unique challenges indie games face in a crowded market and the evolving role of AI in game development, stressing that authenticity should remain central to the indie experience.
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Finding Hits Off The Beaten Path
- Playstack's discovery team found Balatro by digging into unusual places like small game sites and early demos.
- They contacted the solo dev Locathunk very early and nurtured the title from that demo stage.
Tiny Loop, Massive Depth
- Balatro mixes a tiny, addictive core loop with deep modifiers to create long engagement.
- The result drives massive playtime and turned the title into seven million paid sales.
Budget Against A Real Base Case
- Aim for a realistic base case like 100k units for indie sustainability and plan budgets around it.
- Use price, net revenue and unit targets to check whether your project's effort justifies the investment.