Balatro vs Mewgenics
Choose now: Balatro's poker deckbuilding is live and endlessly deep, or wait for Mewgenics' genetics-driven tactics from Isaac's creators.
Definitive deck-building poker roguelike that holds up past 100 hours, with free Friends of Jimbo updates adding new collab card packs.
Makes good on the decade-long Mewgenics dev cycle — McMillen and Glaiel's cat-genetics roguelite hits Isaac territory at 89 MC and 94% recommend.
Steam popularity
Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.
Balatro
Jun 2026 peak CCU 9,277 ↓ 20% MoM
All-time peak 43,825
Mewgenics
Jun 2026 peak CCU 7,946 ↓ 41% MoM
All-time peak 115,063
Key differences
Core gameplay
Each run involves selecting poker hands and jokers to create multiplicative scoring combos.
Each run starts by breeding a cat party, then deploying them in grid-based tactical combat.
Release availability
Balatro is fully released on PC, mobile, and consoles with no cross-save yet.
Mewgenics is set to launch in 2026, PC-only at first, with no console announced.
Art and tone
Balatro uses a clean, colorful casino aesthetic with minimal gore or gross-out humor.
Mewgenics employs McMillen's signature grotesque cartoon style with edgy humor and body horror.
Which one is for you?
Pick Balatro if
- You love poker and deckbuilders like Slay the Spire and want instant gratification.
- You play in short bursts and want a polished mobile experience.
- You are comfortable with high randomness and don't mind runs ending suddenly.
Pick Mewgenics if
- You are a Binding of Isaac fan eager for a turn-based twist from the same creators.
- You enjoy deep meta-progression and genetic customization across many runs.
- You prefer tactical grid combat over card-based scoring systems.
Bottom line
Pick Balatro if you want a proven roguelite you can play right now. Pick Mewgenics if you're willing to wait for a promising genetics-driven tactical game from Isaac's team.