It's a near tie: both score 9.2, with Balatro ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Balatro wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Terraria on 2, with 1 tied.
Card game fans who love building combos and chasing high scores
Players who want Minecraft-style building with more combat and bosses
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Balatro | Terraria |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Card & Board Games | Casual & Party Games |
| Category rank | #1 of 8 | #1 of 8 |
| Developer | LocalThunk / Playstack | Re-Logic |
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Usable for free | No | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Balatro better than Terraria?
It's a near tie: both score 9.2, with Balatro ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Balatro wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Terraria on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Balatro or Terraria?
Balatro: $9.99 once on iOS and Android, no in-app purchases; Balatro+ is on Apple Arcade. Terraria: $4.99 in the App Store with no in-app purchases; Terraria+ is on Apple Arcade. On value for money, Balatro scores higher.
Do Balatro and Terraria work on the same devices?
Only Terraria runs on Linux.
Which is more private, Balatro or Terraria?
Terraria scores higher on privacy (9.8/10). App Store label: the developer says it collects no data from this app, so nothing is used to track you or linked to you.
Strengths and weaknesses
Balatro
- Every run plays out differently
- Pay once: no ads and no in-app purchases
- Controls feel built for touch, not ported
- The big 1.1 content update still has no release date
- Bad luck can sink a promising run
Balatro takes the poker hands you already know and turns them into a roguelike you'll keep coming back to. You build hands to beat each blind, then bend the rules with more than 150 Jokers, so every run becomes a different combo puzzle. The controls are remastered for touch, and it's a single price with no ads or upsells. Your only real risk is losing whole evenings to one more run.
Full Balatro review
Terraria
- One purchase, no ads or in-app purchases
- Huge amount of content, kept in sync with PC
- Label says no data is collected
- Touch controls are fiddly in combat
- Online play needs a hosted game or PC server
Terraria is the sandbox for players who want a fight with their building. You dig into a randomly generated 2D world, craft better gear from what you find, and summon bosses that push you toward the next tier of loot. The 1.4.5 update brought new bosses, mounts and a smarter crafting menu to mobile alongside PC. It's one cheap purchase, and the label says no data is collected. Touch controls take practice.
Full Terraria review
