Balatro, the indie game that received widespread acclaim at last year’s Game Awards and was named Polygon’s 2024 Game of the Year, has successfully appealed a European rating board decision to slap an 18+ label on the game. PEGI (Pan-European Games Information Network) initially downgraded Balatro from its original 3+ rating to 18+, citing “prominent gambling imagery” as the reason.
However, after a complaint was filed by the game’s publisher Playstack and developer LocalThunk, PEGI reversed its decision. The Complaints Board concluded that while Balatro does contain elements of poker, it also features fantastical elements that warrant a PEGI 12 rating instead.
The controversy surrounding Balatro’s rating sparked debate among gamers and developers, with some criticizing PEGI’s initial decision as arbitrary and overly restrictive. LocalThunk described the decision as “comedy” and pointed to other games that feature similar gambling imagery without being given an 18+ rating.
PEGI has promised to develop a more granular set of classification criteria for handling gambling themes in different age categories, bringing nuance to its ratings system. The move is seen as a positive step towards allowing developers to create games without fear of unfair punishment due to ambiguous or subjective rating decisions.
Source: https://www.polygon.com/news/528446/balatro-pegi-rating-gambling-appeal