Speaking casually, Balatro’s popularity on Steam was more than just a hit – it was a game-changer in the world of poker, offering a revolutionary new approach with an engaging gameplay mechanism that was singlehandedly developed. The game quickly amassed a colossal player base and made a significant impact at the 2024 Game Awards, snagging titles like Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game. It’s no wonder that Balatro inspired numerous imitators on Steam, but they were mere shadows of the original. However, all of that changed with the release of Aotenjo Infinite Hands on January 20, 2025 – a game that has managed to challenge and potentially surpass the original Balatro.
Another Balatro rip-off? Not this time
When the term ‘deck-building roguelike’ is mentioned, it might spark thoughts of, ‘Is this something similar to Balatro?’. However, with Aotenjo Infinite Hands, you aren’t far from the mark, but it’s an entirely distinct game. While it may resemble other games at first glance, it’s more akin to Mahjong, which shares some similarities with Poker, but in essence, it plays out more like a strategic chess game.
Mahjong is an ancient Chinese game played with tiles, usually involving four participants. The objective is to arrange particular tile patterns, such as sets and sequences, to finish a hand. It offers a blend of strategy, talent, and a touch of fortune as players pick and discard tiles in an attempt to outsmart their adversaries. This single-player version has been developed from the original multiplayer game.
The development team described it on reddit as:
In essence, Aotenjo draws inspiration from over 40 classic Mahjong games originating from various regions, seamlessly incorporating roguelike elements into the gameplay. As players progress, they’ll navigate through randomly generated stages, amassing Artifacts and perfecting their understanding of Mahjong Patterns…
This game offers more than 100 Mahjong patterns and 144 distinct Artifacts, creating a nearly limitless number of opportunities for players to explore potent combinations and harmonious interactions. Keep in mind, strategic timing is essential – utilize the right tools or activate rare Patterns at pivotal instances to secure a high score!
Finally, Mahjong for beginners
Mahjong might seem challenging for beginners, and I can confirm this since I’ve had my own struggles with it, even when I played a similar version in Final Fantasy XIV and felt utterly bewildered. However, with the game Aotenjo Infinite Hands, you won’t need to worry about tackling complex rules or strategies because its tutorial is incredibly user-friendly for newcomers like us. Preliminary Steam reviews are already praising the game as being quite strong.
You have the option to customize the settings, switching out the foreign Mandarin characters for Arabic numbers, which is more convenient for Western players. Although it doesn’t feature the quirky wild banana jokers from Balatro, Aotenjo Infinite Hands offers its own distinctive system of artifacts and gadgets.
- indie games
- roguelike / roguelite
- deckbuilder
- PC
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2025-01-20 20:32