The Korea Game User Association announced on the 28th that it submitted a public petition to the Game Rating and Administration Committee, requesting the reversal and re-examination of the youth restriction decision on 'Balatro' in collaboration with the YouTube channel 'Kim Seong-hwa's G Encyclopedia.'
Developed by a Canadian indie developer, Balatro, which was introduced last year, is an indie game that combines poker with deck-building roguelike gameplay, a genre where each round configuration changes. Balatro received acclaim for its simple yet original gameplay and won three awards at last year's prestigious industry ceremony, The Game Awards (TGA), including 'Best Indie Game.' It was also recognized for its artistry and creativity at the recent Game Developers Conference (GDC) held in the United States, being selected as 'Game of the Year.'
The Game Rating and Administration Committee classified Balatro as a gambling simulation game, citing the presence of trump cards as the reason, and rated it for adults aged 18 and over, making it unsuitable for youth. However, fans who have actually played the game argue that while Balatro borrows poker rules and trump cards, it operates on a point-scoring system, and mechanics like enhancing specific card performance or inserting and removing cards from the deck are unrelated to gambling.
The Korea Game User Association emphasized, "The European game rating organization PEGI also recently significantly lowered the game's rating from 18 and over to 12 and over," and noted, "Just looking at the GDC 2025 award cases shows that Balatro is recognized as content with cultural and artistic value beyond mere entertainment." It further stated that the Game Rating and Administration Committee should withdraw its rating decision and re-examine it according to international standards.