Xbox Game Pass gets one of the best games of 2024 for free

A multi-award winner has just surprisingly dropped on Xbox Game Pass

Balatro trailer
(Image credit: Playstack)
Quick Summary

Balatro has been added to Xbox Game Pass, for subscribers of Ultimate, Standard and PC Game Pass.

The devilishly addictive card game has won multiple awards and can be played for free right now.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be extremely happy to learn that one of the best games of last year has surprisingly been added to the service.

You can now download and play the superb card game Balatro, just as it receives a batch of all-new DLC.

Announced as part of the the latest ID@Xbox stream, the winner of Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2024 has been added to the lineup of titles available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and even Standard members.

Balatro - Game Pass Announcement Trailer - YouTube Balatro - Game Pass Announcement Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

The game, which is also one of the best available on Apple Arcade for those with an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV, is a seemingly simple take on poker, but thanks to a whole stack of extra features, power-ups and mischievous jokers, the action is far from it.

It is, in fact, one of the most addictive card games ever devised, as you try to unlock new jokers, card types and bonuses through its roguelike replayability.

Balatro has also been released on Windows, so is available to PC Game Pass subscribers too, and a new "Friends of Jimbo" bundle of card sets has been released.

These include cards based on Fallout, Assassin's Creed, Civilization VII, Critical Role, Bugsnax, Rust, Slay the Princess, and Dead by Daylight.

They join the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, Among Us, Vampire Survivors, Slay the Spire, and Stardew Valley in offering different customisation options.

Subscribers should be able to find Balatro available to download and play on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Windows PCs now. It's also available to play through Xbox Cloud Gaming on multiple different devices, including mobile and Smart TVs.

Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.