Minority Mindset

The games Balatro and Vampire Survivors have had a huge impact on game development recently. Both were initially created by single developers and became surprisingly popular. Balatro even received a Game of the Year nomination in 2024, competing with major titles like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Now, we’re seeing a lot of new games that borrow ideas from these titles – either roguelikes inspired by Balatro, or ‘survivors-like’ games. This new style of game is quickly becoming a genre of its own, and people are already referring to it with terms similar to ‘Metroidvania’ or ‘souls-like’.

I’m so excited! I just read that refint/games is reporting the Switch version of the game will be able to run at 4K at 60fps when docked and 1080p at 60fps handheld on the new Nintendo Switch 2. It’s awesome that even though it’s not a brand new game made for the Switch 2, it’ll still look and play so much better through backwards compatibility!

According to refint/games, the latest update will allow the Switch version of the game to run at 4K resolution with 60 frames per second when docked on the Nintendo Switch 2, and at 1080p with 60fps in handheld mode. It’s important to note this isn’t a game built specifically for the Switch 2; these are visual enhancements achieved through backwards compatibility.

The latest expansion adds two new maps to play on, plus a unique new skill line for each of the game’s nine classes. Players can also look forward to new equipment and challenging raid encounters. The Homestead system, first introduced in Janthir Wilds, is getting an update too, with fresh design options and the ability to share those designs with friends.