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BalatroVSploink

Which game gives you more value right now? Every metric, head to head.

Balatro

Balatro

StrategyCasualIndie
Quality
96Popularity
45Value
49
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
in 2 days
−25% $11.27
Buy Now
VS
ploink

ploink

StrategyCasualIndieSimulation
Quality
71Popularity
16Value
52
SteamBetter Deal· Steam
$12.99
Buy Now

Winner

Balatro wins 11 of 15 head-to-head metrics.

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Grab It Now
11
Balatro
11 of 15 metrics
ploink
4 of 15 metrics
4

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric comparison: winner determined by count, no weighting

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$11.27 Wins
$12.99 -
Historical Low Price (USD)
$12.29 -
$11.69 Wins
Best Current Discount
-25% Wins
No discount -
Sales Frequency
122 price changes Wins
2 price changes -
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
90/100 Wins
N/A -
Steam Review Score
97.8% positive Wins
94.8% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
160.1K Wins
77 -
Positive Steam Reviews
156.6K Wins
73 -
Negative Steam Reviews
3.5K -
4 Wins
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
6.9K Wins
20 -
Steam Recommendations
158.6K Wins
0 -
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
31 -
74 Wins
Supported Languages
12 languages Wins
1 language -
Release Date
Feb 2024 -
Aug 2026 Wins
GameValio Recommendation
MaybeBalatro

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Wait for Saleploink

Not the best time to jump in. Prices tend to drop, and this one hasn't hit its sweet spot yet.

Statistics Over Time

Side-by-side historical trends: same time range, same scale

Time Range:
Balatro
ploink

Player Count Trends

· Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

· Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

Balatro

Balatro

4 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin −25% $11.27Buy Now
Green Man Gaming
Green Man Gaming +13% $12.74View
GamersGate
GamersGate +33% $14.99View
Steam
Steam +33% $14.99View
ploink

ploink

1 Store
Steam
Steam$12.99Buy Now

Balatro

Quality

Overwhelmingly positive reviews — the vast majority of players recommend it.

98% positive (160,048 reviews) — overwhelmingly positive
Metacritic 90/100 — critics unanimous, one of the best
160,048 reviews — extremely reliable sample

Value

A bit steep right now — worth waiting for a bigger sale.

$11.27 — reasonable price
25% off — modest discount
Near historical low ($10.26)

Popularity

Activity a bit low — loyal community but no instant queues.

Strong +33% player growth
7,638 concurrent players — solid base
186 new reviews — still being discovered
160,048 total reviews — gaming phenomenon

ploink

Quality

Most players came away satisfied — more positives than negatives.

95% positive (77 reviews) — very positive reception
77 reviews — limited sample, treat with caution

Value

A bit steep right now — worth waiting for a bigger sale.

$12.99 — reasonable price
Near historical low ($11.69)

Popularity

Declining player base — could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.

-68% player drop
6 concurrent players — niche audience
Game DetailsBalatroploink
Release Date
February 20, 2024
August 17, 2026
Developers
LocalThunk
Pyrocreep
Publishers
Playstack
Pyrocreep
Platforms
MacOs, Windows
Windows
Achievements
31
74

Balatro

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

ploink

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 11
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 400 MB
  • Storage: 200 MB available space
Which is better: Balatro or ploink?

Balatro won the comparison against ploink based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is Balatro worth buying over ploink?

Based on the metrics, Balatro won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. ploink currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Sep 5, 2026, 02:37 PM UTC

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

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