LocalThunk

Anonymous Canadian solo developer who made the poker roguelike Balatro

@localthunk Canada 🏆 Best Independent Game · The Game Awards Indie Game Makers

LocalThunk at a glance

Known for: Balatro
Based in: Canada
Indie since: 2021
Active products: Balatro

Facts checked 2026-10-22

About LocalThunk

LocalThunk is the pseudonym of the anonymous solo developer behind Balatro, the poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder that became one of the biggest indie hits of 2024. He is based in Saskatchewan, Canada, and has chosen to keep his real identity private. The name combines the programming keyword "local" with "Thunk", a variable name his partner often used.

Balatro started around 2021 as a side project built in Lua with the LÖVE framework, and LocalThunk quit his day job roughly a year before launch. Publisher Playstack found the game on Steam and signed it. Released in February 2024, it grossed over $1 million in its first eight hours, passed one million copies within a month and more than five million by January 2025, about half of them after the September 2024 mobile launch.

The game swept the 2024–2025 awards season, winning Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024 and Game of the Year at the Game Developers Choice Awards. LocalThunk still works on Balatro, shipping free crossover updates with other indie games and a Nintendo Switch 2 version in February 2026, and has encouraged fans to support other independent games.

Products by LocalThunk

Balatro

playbalatro.com

Poker-inspired roguelike deckbuilder where players build absurd scoring combos with jokers and modified cards.

5M+ copies sold by Jan 2025

Awards & recognition

Timeline

2021 — Started building Balatro as a side project.
2024 — Released Balatro on PC and consoles with Playstack in February; it grossed over $1M in eight hours and sold 1M copies within a month.
2024 — Launched Balatro on iOS and Android (plus Balatro+ on Apple Arcade) in September.
2024 — Won three awards at The Game Awards 2024, including Best Independent Game.
2025 — Balatro passed 5 million copies sold and won Game of the Year at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
2026 — Released Balatro on Nintendo Switch 2.

How LocalThunk builds

Build the game you want to play, even as an unpaid side project.
Keep a simple, familiar premise and let depth come from combinations.
Stay anonymous and let the game speak for itself.

LocalThunk FAQ

Who made Balatro?

Balatro was made by LocalThunk, an anonymous solo developer from Saskatchewan, Canada, and published by Playstack in February 2024.

How many copies has Balatro sold?

Balatro sold more than 5 million copies by January 2025, not counting Apple Arcade downloads. It had passed 1 million within its first month.

How much money did Balatro make?

Playstack said Balatro grossed over $1 million in its first eight hours, and the mobile versions grossed about $4.4 million in their first two months. No lifetime revenue figure has been published (as of 2026).

Who is LocalThunk?

LocalThunk is the pseudonym of Balatro's Canadian developer, who has kept his real name private. He built the game in Lua with the LÖVE framework, starting in 2021.

What awards did Balatro win?

Balatro won Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024, plus Game of the Year at the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards and a BAFTA for Debut Game.