Balatro, the breakout hit of early 2024, boasts over 3.5 million sales and three Game Awards wins. Its enduring popularity stems from innovative gameplay and near-limitless replayability. However, seasoned players might seek ways to revitalize their experience.
While mods offer one solution, accessing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, allowing cheat usage without impacting achievements.
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Enabling Balatro Cheats
To activate Balatro's debug menu and cheats, you'll need 7-Zip, a free, open-source archiving tool. Locate your Balatro installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro). If unsure, find Balatro in your Steam library, right-click, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."
Right-click Balatro.exe and choose to open the archive with 7-Zip (this might be under "Show More Options," depending on your OS and 7-Zip settings). Find
conf.lua
and open it with a text editor (like Notepad).
Modify
_RELEASE_MODE = true
to _RELEASE_MODE = false
, then save. If saving fails, extract conf.lua
to your desktop, make the change, and replace the original file. The debug menu will now activate by holding the Tab key in-game.
To disable the debug menu, revert _RELEASE_MODE
to true
in conf.lua
.
Utilizing the Balatro Debug Menu
Balatro's cheat menu is user-friendly. Unlock collectibles by hovering and pressing '1'; spawn jokers by hovering and pressing '3'. While initially limited to five jokers, pressing 'Q' four times on a joker in your hand transforms it into a negative, effectively expanding your joker capacity.
All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)
Cheat / Key
Effect