Sinister new card game brings Balatro's rule-warping brilliance to Solitaire

Ben Starr's real-life appearances as headlining joker Jimbo aside, nothing about Balatro is particularly sinister. 2024's smash-hit card game is a soothing, number-blasting joy that, as developer 'Localthunk' has stressed, bears none of the gambling overtones of actual poker. But what if you want a darker twist on a family favorite? Enter Occlude. Described as "a ritual disguised as Solitaire," this cosmic-horror card game gives me the unsettling vibes of Inscryption, and developer Tributary Games is burying its secrets just as deeply.

"You thought you knew the rules. You don't," Occlude teases gently. "Have you ever done something you regret? What if I told you there was a way to fix it? Make it so that something never happened at all; or perhaps, just happened differently. What if I told you it was as simple as a game of Solitaire?" While the layout on the table immediately resembles one of the most popular and best card games ever made, quite how you're supposed to play Occlude's take on Solitaire is initially unclear - to unravel the rules, you need to experiment.

Seven rituals means seven games, with seven unique, hidden rulesets. Watching you play are seven entities, but don't worry about those. "Worrying doesn't do anything," Tributary reassures us, "I shouldn't have mentioned them at all." Each ritual is essentially a puzzle, growing increasingly complex as you progress through the ranks. Along the way, you'll uncover the true nature of what's at play, and at stake, with forbidden text and terrible secrets to be discovered if you're foolish enough to look for them.

Tributary says its new creation is deceptively ambitious. "Occlude is aptly named because it hides everything from the player - the story and the mechanics are both a mystery at first, and uncovering them is part of the puzzle," studio lead Samuel Partridge explains. "I'm forced to be somewhat vague, forgive me, but Occlude is a game that requires you go in with a fresh mind. We can't talk too much about its inner workings without showing our hand."

Occlude launches on Thursday July 10 on Steam. Get it here. It also offers support for controllers and Steam Deck play, although Tributary notes that the game is "best played with mouse and keyboard" if you have the ability.

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