I’ve just uninstalled and removed Balatro after yet a near, very close 8/8 ante finish. I have been failing and failing, I’ve only ever seen and gotten to 8/8 ante twice, this being the second time. Every other run has been just insulting me to where no strategy has ever worked, I feel like a lot of it is RNG and pre-determined outcomes based on seeded runs.
And I hate that way of playing. It always feels like I’m getting smacked down by a troll bully who I can never overcome. They’d kick me down every failed run I’d have, then they give me a false sense of security the further I get. “Awwww, getting tired of being owned? Here, let me help you by giving you a few seemingly lucky breaks. SMACK Oh! OWNED YOU AGAIN! FUCK YOU! LOLLOLOL! I BANGED YOUR MOTHER, GIT GUD, NOOB!1”
I just don’t understand why these kinds of games are around, even when I have a good idea who it is for.
Well it sounds like you’re not that into this sort of abstract puzzle game. That’s fine, to each their own.
It’s interesting, perhaps it’s something about my personality, but I find that often I’m looking to escape from any sort of emotional engagement, so the last thing I want are deep characters. But interesting puzzles, a complex system with a definite solution, that’s my jam.
I played a game once called Firewatch, a truly beautiful walking simulator style game with a whole lot of story and dialogue. As the story went on your character is building a relationship with a coworker, and at some point she starts to confess about being involved in something truly tragic, like no joke it got heavy as hell. And despite mostly enjoying the game up to that point, I just couldn’t go any further. It was like, it’s a walking simulator, I can’t “lose” this game… but still, this feels too hard to play.
Side note, if these puzzle games aren’t for you, probably skip Return of the Obra Dinn, also Tunic