Balatro will draw you in with its easy-to-learn mechanics that are based on Texas Hold’em poker mechanics. Its intoxicating nature will keep you glued to your computer, console, or phone for hours on end trying to defeat the latest dealer and other Enemy Blinds standing in your way.
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PostsSince you’re going to be here a long while (yes, that’s already a given if you’re here reading this list) why not give your deck a little bit of a makeover with any of the franchises gracing the game from the several Friends of Jimbo packs that dropped for the low, low price of free! Which ones deserve to show off? Ultimately, that’s between you and your deck, but this list will break down each pack for you.
All Friends Of Jimbo Collabs as of now are appearances only. They don't have any gameplay modifiers attached.
16 1000xResist
Connecting The Past And Future Through Memories
1000xResist tackles heavy subjects within its narrative. Themes such as dealing with a pandemic are on the surface, but when you delve deeper into the narrative, you’ll find themes of generational trauma, PTSD, and the culture shock of immigration. None of these subjects are handled with kid gloves or disrespect but with love.
Something in the narrative resonated with the folks over at LocalThunk, so much so that they’ve included some of the sisters of the Allmother on the game's cards. Specifically, the Principal, Allmother, and the Watcher are featured on the King, Queen, and Jack of Diamonds, respectively. This game deserves a lot more attention than it’s got, but that’s a conversation for another day.
15 Potion Craft
The Business Loop Of Healing
If you’re itching to help people, but can’t afford the price tag of medical school, then Potion Craft is your second-best bet! It’s a simple gameplay loop of customers coming to your shop, telling you of their ills, and it is up to you to give, or not give, them the best medicine to treat their woes.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing in these skins that will heal you from getting your loss handed to you from a big blind, but at least you’ll go down in style! The pixel art brings the muted brown color palette of Potion Craft to life within the Mushroomer, Herbalist, and Fellow Alchemist characters that represent the game—a moment of calm in between the storm of Jokers.
14 Don’t Starve
A Homage To The Beautifully Haunted
Don’t Starve answers the question of: what if Tim Burton made a cast of tragic characters and sent them to live in an alternate dimension to fight off interdimensional beings that manifest by their fears and loss of sanity? Well, then you have the fantastic, but difficult Don’t Starve. If you don’t keep your wits about you, you will be lost in the darkness.
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PostsLuckily, Wilson, Charlie, and Maxwell don’t need food or shelter to find relative safety in your deck, with them adding up your total numbers instead of adding to the total beasts they have to fend off. These three represent the Spades of your deck, fitting and fitting well with their monochromatic art.
13 Vampire Survivors
Taking A Break From Fighting The Bloodthirsty Hoard
You may have noticed that a few of these titles have more in common than just the desire to collab, but the experience as well. Vampire Survivors was a surprise hit for the creator, but it’s a well-deserved victory for the automatic rogue-like. You are the lone force against hordes upon hordes of undead hellbent on being unleashed.
While this club collab does feature two of the Vampire Survivors’ heroes that fight against the horde, the garlic-wielding Poe Ratcho and Queen Sigma herself, it is the King that stands out in this set, as he is the only one that isn’t a playable character, and in fact, is the main antagonist. Bloody is the fang that wears that crown.
12 Dave The Diver
The Depths A Man Will Go For Sushi
In celebration of the hardest working man in the Sushi business, the folks at Balatro invited the crew of Bancho Sushi to feature in the first Friends of Jimbo pack. These face cards take on the more classic look of playing cards, except for each character having their little quirks, such as Dave holding his spear or Bancho holding his sushi knife.
Whether their appearance was of their own volition or another one of Cobra’s money-making machinations remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the real winner is anyone who gets this good-looking skin for their face cards.
11 Cult Of The Lamb
If You’re As Cute As Lamb, May As Well Lead A Cult
While starting a cult under the name of a fallen god isn’t ideal, it’s better than being sacrificed, right? As far as Lamb and other followers find out, the answer may not always be a resounding yes. The One Who Waits isn't going to wait for you for long, after all.
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PostsBoth the Lamb and Ratau are their adorable selves, while the Goat shows off their more menacing side with blood-red eyes and a sharp dagger to go with their frown, representing the Queen of Hearts' face card. You may win, or you may lose, but at least you’ll have cuteness aggression on your side.
10 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Hold The Power Of The Godwoken In Your Deck
The amount of love and care that Larian Studios puts into its games is on another level. Game fans got to experience this at large with Baldur’s Gate 3, but that Larian-level of quality has always been within their games ever since their first one, the LED Wars.
To celebrate was considered, until BG3, one of the best RPGs of all time, the faces of these heart cards take on the visages of Fane, the undead scholar for Jack, the Queen is Lohse, the bard with a secret, and finally, King is represented by The Red Prince, who has been exiled for political gain. If this is simply to bring more eyes to the Original Sin games, sign us up!
9 Shovel Knight
Stop The Sorceress, Save The Shield
A love letter to the fun yet frustrating time of NES platforming. Traversing the land and saving it from an all-encompassing evil is a tale as old as time, and this game comes with a special feeling of satisfaction that a lot of games from that time were severely lacking. Shovel Knight is the best of merging both the old and the new.
Any of the Order of No Quarter could have been guests featured on the faces of clubs, but the choice of hosting the protagonist and antagonist with the Shield Knight at the same time makes a cheeky nod to the story for old players, and questions for yet-to-start players.
8 Slay The Spire
You Won’t Die, But Losing Still Might Be Painful
There are two types of Slay the Spire players: those who will give it a few runs, find that death will win over and over, and then put it down for a while. Then you have those who have had endless runs that lasted over 8,500 floors. The game just tends to bring out different beats from within you when you're playing.
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PostsThe stars of the show for these face cards are three of the four different classes you can choose to play with: the Defect takes the Jack, The queen is Silent, and the king is the Ironclad Soldier. Sadly, there is only room for three of the four characters and with the Watcher’s popularity lukewarm at best, it was always going to be these three.
7 Stardew Valley
Come For The Inheritance, Stay For Life
Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that Stardew Valley was created entirely by one person, especially as you forge relationships with every character you come into contact with. There are a lot of interpersonal mechanics at play that make the game feel all the more immersive. A hundred hours will pass by before you even know it in this cozy game.
The artwork of the Stardew Valley face cards is meant to evoke more of the portraits of the characters found in the game. Pierre is the owner of Pierre’s General Store, Marnie the Farmer, and Mayor Lewis, Marnie’s surprise paramour. These diamond faces are meant to evoke a peaceful vibe, albeit a reprieve amidst the chaos on the board.
