Balatro has been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. [Image: The Game Awards]

Balatro, the poker-themed roguelike deck-builder video game that took the world by storm earlier this year, has been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.

The Game Awards, established a decade ago, is arguably the most prestigious awards ceremony in the video game industry. If not the most prestigious, certainly the most prominent. This year’s celebration will be streamed live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 12.

it has received rave reviews and quickly became one of the most addictive games of the year

Balatro was released on February 20, 2024 on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It was ported to macOS on March 1 and to mobile devices on September 26. Developed by single person, LocalThunk, and published by Playstack, it has received rave reviews and quickly became one of the most addictive games of the year.

All told, Balatro is nominated in five categories at The Game Awards: Game of the Year, Best Mobile Game, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie, and Best Game Direction.

In a brief tweet about his nominations, LocalThunk simply said: “I am freaking out.”

The other nominees in the Game of the Year category are Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: Refantazio.

Balatro is tied for the third-most nominations this year with Silent Hill 2. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are tied for first with seven, while Metaphor: Refantazio has six.

The winners are determined by a combination of The Game Awards’ voting jury and fan vote, though the fan vote only counts for 10%. Fans can pick their favorites at The Game Awards website.