An upcoming mobile game could take our screen addictions to dangerous new heights, according to Charlie Brooker.
Through his hit anthology series Black Mirror, Brooker has been warning us for years of the dangers of rampant technological advancement.
The show’s weighty (and, for some, overbearing) themes, which range from the impact of social media on self-image to the erosion of privacy in a digitally connected world, seem more chillingly prescient in our current era of AI-generated deepfakes and online disinformation gone wild.
So, it’s worth taking note when Mr Brooker warns of a looming threat to humanity. In a wide-ranging conversation with Deadline (via PC Gamer), he dished out on Black Mirror’s sixth season from 2023 and its “standout episode”, Joan is Awful. An avid gamer, he also spoke of some of his favourite recent games, with one in particular zapping most of his time.
“This is going to sound so tragic, but right now there’s a game called Balatro,” Brooker said. “It’s like poker, and it’s possibly the most addictive thing ever created.”
He went on to say that when it comes to mobile, it could unleash an epidemic of procrastination that could plunge productivity levels worldwide (and you thought your Fortnite addiction was bad).
“It’s currently on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, but it’s going to be released on phones, and at that point, I think humankind’s activity is going to drop about 25%,” Brooker exclaimed.
In case you missed it, Balatro is one of the biggest indie success stories of the year. With its charming, hand-drawn art style and magical cards, the experience is like playing Poker in a casino in the Red Room from Twin Peaks. So, it’s no wonder it feels like it makes time stand still (especially when you’re on a winning streak).
The rough-around-the-edges game sold enough copies to become profitable within just one hour of its launch. It eventually went on to sell one million copies in less than a month, an impressive feat for an indie game of its stature.
Described as a deck builder with roguelike elements (translation: an unpredictable, card-collecting strategy game), Balatro currently has a 90 score on Metacritic, making it one of the most highly rated games of the year.
Of course, Brooker was joking, we think, but if Balatro really does turn us all into a nation of glassy-eyed, card-shuffling zombies, it would make great fodder for a Black Mirror episode.
