Balatro reclassified as PEGI 12 by ratings board after appeal by publisher

Balatro, the roguelike deckbuilder, has received a revised PEGI rating. Initially classified as PEGI 18—a rating that placed it alongside games like Grand Theft Auto—it has now been reclassified as PEGI 12. This decision, according to developer Localthunk, follows an appeal to the PEGI board by Balatro's publisher.

This isn't Balatro's first brush with regulatory issues; it was briefly removed from the Nintendo eShop due to concerns about its depiction of gambling. This, despite the game not involving real-money transactions or betting; in-game currency is solely used to purchase additional cards within each playthrough.

The PEGI 18 rating stemmed largely from the game's use of gambling-related imagery. Ironically, this led to a classification comparable to games with significantly more mature content. The misclassification extended to mobile platforms, despite the prevalence of in-app purchases in many mobile games.

While the revised PEGI 12 rating is a welcome correction, the initial misclassification highlights inconsistencies in game rating systems. For those intrigued by Balatro, our tier list of Jokers can help determine which cards offer the most strategic value.