Balatro received the award for best independent game at the Game Awards ceremony and has delighted many players since its launch. A point also very widely reacted to by Localthunk, the developer of the game, who did not fail to make it known.
Balatro is rated PEGI 18, but not EA Sports FC
In a message posted recently on Twitter, he explains that Balatro was reclassified PEGI 18+ a few weeks after its launch due to “evil” images on certain cards. He tackles EA Sports FC in passing, ironically about the fact that it should perhaps add microtransactions and lootboxes in order to be classified PEGI 3.
Since PEGI gave us an 18+ rating for having evil game cards, maybe I should add microtransactions/loot boxes/real gambling to lower that rating to 3+, like EA sports FC.
At first glance, it seems quite surprising that a game like Balatro is PEGI 18, while a title like EA Sports FC is only PEGI 3, despite all the rather criticized mechanics present there.
A game not suitable for people under 18
The reasons for this classification are however clearly displayed on the page dedicated to Balatro, as can be seen on the European game classification site.
This game has been assigned a PEGI 18 rating which limits its availability to ADULTS ONLY and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. This classification was assigned because it features prominent gambling images.
This game teaches – through images, information and gameplay – skills and knowledge used in poker. During the game, the player is rewarded with “chips” for playing certain hands. The player can access a list of poker hand names.
When the player hovers over these poker hands, the game explains to them the types of cards they need to play certain hands. As the game progresses, the player becomes more and more familiar with the hands that earn him the most points. Since these are hands that exist in the real world, this knowledge and skills can be transferred to a real poker game.
Localthunk later clarified his comments by explaining that he was much more irritated by the fact that games like EA Sports FC were PEGI 3 rather than the fact that Balatro was PEGI 18. He explained that if the other games were also PEGI rated 18, he would happily accept the PEGI 18 awarded to Balatro
If these other games were rated correctly, I’d happily accept this weird 18+.
We obviously understand that the developer is upset about this situation, and the fact that titles such as EA Sports FC are PEGI 3 compared to Balatro.
Localthunk can also rejoice in the success of its game, which has sold more than 3.5 million copies since its release, and continues to collect positive evaluations, regardless of the platform.
If you don’t know the game, remember that it is playable now on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and mobiles.
