Indie superhit Balatro no longer has the same Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating as Grand Theft Auto V in Europe. Last year the card game received the adult PEGI 18+ rating due to its poker gameplay and rules. But thanks to a successful appeal, Balatro’s rating has been lowered to PEGI 12+.
Balatro, which launched a year ago last week, has been a huge hit across the globe. The roguelike card game tasks players with putting together high-scoring poker hands using luck, skill, and powerful joker cards that act like supernatural wildcards. Balatro—available now on consoles, PC, and mobile devices—isn’t a game about gambling and doesn’t include any violence or real money transactions. That didn’t stop PEGI from randomly, with no warning, raising the game’s rating from 3+ to 18+, however. The American equivalent would essentially be the ESRB changing a game’s rating from E to M. Now, finally, PEGI has realized how silly it was to rate Balatro 18+.
On February 24, Balatro creator and developer LocalThunk confirmed that after his publisher had appealed to PEGI, Balatro’s rating had been lowered from the adults only 18+ to the more sensible 12+, which is similar to an ESRB T rating.
“This is a good step from PEGI – bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished,” posted LocalThunk.
Over on the PEGI website, the group confirmed it had lowered Balatro’s rating as well as the rating of Luck Be A Landord—a game that featured slot machines and directly inspired Balatro—for similar reasons.
“The Complaints Board concluded that, although [Balatro] explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating,” said the board on the PEGI website.
PEGI further explained that Luck Be a Landord’s rating change from 18+ to 12+ was because “the same arguments as above applied: although the game features a slot machine mechanic, there were no specific transferable gambling skills.”
The PEGI rule that any game that teaches or glamorizes simulated gambling will result in an automatic 18+ rating isn’t going away. However, the board says that it will provide 12+ ratings to games, like Balatro, that don’t simulate gambling in a casino or betting hall.
“PEGI acknowledges the finding of the Complaints Board appeals panel in regards to amending the classifications of these games,” said the board.
“The PEGI system continuously evolves in line with cultural expectations and the guidance of independent experts who support our assessment process. PEGI strives to apply ratings criteria fairly, consistently, and transparently to ensure that audiences understand the type of content that is present in games.”
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