The Fascinating Story Behind Balatro's Name and the Ones That Were Left Behind

The roguelike sensation Balatro could have been known by quite different monikers, such as Hyperborean Hold 'em or Balatron, among others that linger incessantly in my thoughts. Upon its launch earlier this year, Balatro, with its poker theme, significantly hindered worldwide work rates, but its recognition might have been dramatically lessened with a simpler label, for instance, Trial of the Fool or another amongst the various discarded options the game's creator disclosed recently.

The mind behind Balatro, LocalThunk, unveiled on digital platforms a compilation of prospective names that were in the running before the game's debut. It's almost a certainty that Balatro was the superior choice, taken from the Latin 'Balatro' — a term which evolved to denote professional entertainers or clowns, or in other words, jokers. Pure brilliance. I had to look up that intriguing tidbit because, to be entirely transparent, I was under the impression that Balatro was a whimsical, unique, instantly memorable name born from the developer's imagination. And I suspect I wasn't the only one, which undoubtedly contributed to the success of the name.

Regrettably, the catalog of names discarded in favor of Balatro isn't as commendable. Explore them below, esteemed reader, and show some grace towards Hyperborean Hold 'em.

Admittedly, a handful are remarkably captivating. Joker Poker? Engaging indeed. Balatron? Emanates a fierce Decepticon aura. Venturing even further, there's Balatronic Hold 'em, inciting a tad of regret that we missed out on something akin to Balatronical [ Insert Second Intriguing Word ] in the roster.

Frankly, the "... Hold 'Ems" could be set aside, yet the final pairs did catch my attention. Cartomancer (a card-wielding fortune teller) and Hyperborean (legendary beings from Greek lore) possess that balatronic charm — they're fascinating, memorable terms. Nonetheless, they don't quite mesh with the poker aspect unless LocalThunk had a tarot card extension in contemplation.

Given that Balatro's sales surpassed one million units, far exceeding the developer's initial hopes of selling "perhaps 10 copies" before resuming their IT profession, an extension seems plausible. Additionally, there's a mobile version on the horizon (goodbye to my lunch hours.)