Balatro vs Hades II
Poker-powered deck mastery versus witchcraft-paced combat — pick the loop that matches your patience.
Updated 26d ago
Definitive deck-building poker roguelike that holds up past 100 hours, with free Friends of Jimbo updates adding new collab card packs.
Supergiant's hardest swing in years — Hades II isn't a remix, it's a deeper, weirder game that still respects the original's perfect run-based loop.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 7.
| Measure | Balatro | Hades II |
|---|---|---|
| Value Balatro wins on value | ||
| Price now | $11.34 −24% · GameBillet | $29.99 Microsoft Store |
| All-time low | $10.15 | $20.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.49/hr $11.34 · 8 h main story | $0.98/hr $29.99 · 31 h main story |
| Off its low | +12% low was Jul 2026 | +43% low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 8 h | 31 h |
| Health Balatro wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 98% 198k reviews | 96% 123k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 97% 2k votes · vs 98% lifetime | 95% 963 votes · vs 96% lifetime |
| Peak players | 10,017 Aug 2026 · ↑ 5% MoM | 7,334 Aug 2026 · ↓ 19% MoM |
| Launch peak | 29% of Feb 2024 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | 7% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 43,825 Jan 2025 | 112,300 Sep 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 23 months ago | 8 weeks ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 1 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Balatro
The addictive roguelike loop of Balatro, with its endless joker and tarot combos, keeps 100+ hour players chasing new synergies.
The reliance on early-game luck and frequent restarts after bad tags or discards is the frustration veterans with 100+ hours consistently hit.
from our May 2026 verdict
Hades II
The sheer variety of weapon builds, boon combinations, and engaging narrative drive players to return for hundreds of hours.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Balatro if
- You love Slay the Spire and want runs you can finish in a commute.
- You prefer strategy overhead over reflexes and twitch combat.
- You're happy to master poker hands and stacking multipliers.
Pick Hades II if
- You're craving a sequel with more depth than Hades, not just a reskin.
- You enjoy games with a long onboarding and layers of unlockable systems.
- You want a story that rewards 30+ hours of investment and evolving NPCs.
Bottom line
Pick Balatro for its cheap, 8-hour strategy loop that's easy to pick up; choose Hades II for a beefy 31-hour action RPG with deeper systems and a bigger time commitment.