Key Takeaways
1. Multiplayer Transformation: BalatroMultiplayer mod changes the game from a solo experience to a competitive multiplayer format with two modes currently available and more planned for future updates.
2. Game Modes and Features: The mod includes modes like Attrition and Showdown, offering custom lobby options where hosts can adjust various gameplay settings.
3. Future Plans: Upcoming modes will allow for more players and include new gameplay styles such as Battle Royale, Precision, and Speedrun, enhancing competitive play.
4. New Rulesets and Content: Various gameplay rulesets are planned, including Vanilla, Competitive, Tournament, and Weekly, along with around 20 new jokers and unique Trap cards.
5. Installation and Support: Players need to set up LovelyInjector and Steammodded to install the mod, with resources available on the Balatro Multiplayer server for troubleshooting.
This is the inaugural article of Mod Mania, a magazine series that highlights remarkable mods that enhance their original games in exciting or distinctive ways. In this debut piece, we are featuring a new multiplayer mod for Balatro, developed by the creators Virtualized and TGMM.
Transforming Gameplay
BalatroMultiplayer is an innovative mod that pits players against one another, changing the solo gaming experience into a competitive multiplayer event. Currently, the mod offers two modes with four more planned for the full 1.0 launch. There is already plenty to enjoy, with more features expected in future updates. I gained valuable insights from my short conversation with Virtualized, covering topics from jokers to consumables and various rulesets for lobbies. We will delve into all these aspects in this article, and at the end, you will find instructions on how to download the mod.
Game Modes and Features
At this moment, the mod includes 5 jokers and 1 asteroid card, along with all the multiplayer features you would expect. The two modes, attrition and showdown, have players competing in PvP blinds after a specific time, where the player with the highest score wins. Each player starts with a set number of lives (typically 4), and once they run out, they are eliminated. In Attrition mode, players face a boss blind, making each round a thrilling contest to see who has the best hands. Showdown mode allows players to prepare with 3 normal antes before entering an endless ante, where they compete until one player has no lives left.
Currently, the beta offers a rich set of features, including custom lobby options for every game. Room hosts can adjust settings like comeback money, blind rewards upon round loss, lives lost on non-PvP losses, and much more. They can also decide whether players share the same seed or deck, and choose to enable or disable the multiplayer cards included in the mod.
Future Plans and Updates
Keep in mind that, according to Virtualized, all of this information could change. They are still finalizing details about added content like jokers and consumables. I had a quick chat with Virtualized regarding their future goals and how they achieved this level of popularity. When I inquired about their sudden rise, Virtualized mentioned, “I’ve been working on this mod since Balatro launched. Our Discord had about 2,000 members before Bean’s video dropped. It flew under the radar until the YouTube algorithm caught wind, and by early January, our Discord exploded to around 10,000 members, and now we’re at over 20,000.”
During our discussion, Virtualized revealed exciting plans for the future. The modes are set to undergo a redesign, allowing up to eight players per mode. The new modes include:
– Attrition: Similar to the current setup, focusing on 1v1 matchups against bosses.
– Battle Royale: Every player competes in boss blinds, and the bottom 25% will lose a life.
– Precision: Instead of aiming for high scores, players try to get as close to a target score as possible; the closest wins.
– Speedrun: No PvP, the first to complete ante 8 wins, and if you lose a blind, you’ll restart on a new seed.
New Rulesets and Content
Virtualized also shared various rulesets they plan to implement:
– Vanilla: Enjoy the base game of Balatro without any modifications.
– Competitive: Focused on multiplayer gameplay with balance adjustments.
– Tournament: Ensures lobby settings remain unchanged for tournament play.
– Weekly: An arcade-style experience where certain jokers and cards are banned, refreshing every week or two.
Regarding new content, Virtualized mentioned around 20 jokers are planned for the update, with some confirmed jokers like:
– Conjoined Joker: Grants X1 Mult for every Hand your Nemesis has remaining during PvP blinds.
– Jack-in-a-Box: If the first hand is a single Jack, it gets destroyed, creating 2 Trap cards.
– Handshake: If multiple players have this joker at the start of a PvP blind, it gets destroyed, and they gain $20.
– Mastermind: A 50% chance to create a spectral card when activating a trap.
Additionally, they confirmed a unique gimmick called Trap cards, which will function as consumables stored separately. These will be sent by opponents, featuring various effects, with a total of 17 planned. The art competition for these cards recently concluded, and the effects are detailed below:
All of this sounds quite exciting, and there’s a lot of potential ahead. Remember, though, that everything is still subject to change. As a final note, Virtualized mentioned another possible card type called Sabotage, which would activate when a player loses a PvP blind, allowing them to choose an effect that impacts the next round.
For those eager to stay updated on future releases, you can join their Discord for a chance to connect with others interested in this awesome mod.
To install the mod, ensure you have both LovelyInjector and Steammodded set up, along with downloading the Multiplayer mod. Follow the instructions provided, and you should be all set.
A helpful tip: make sure there’s no -main at the end of any mod folders, as this can sometimes interfere with functionality. If you encounter any issues, the Balatro Multiplayer server is a great resource for assistance.
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