Viral Balatro style horror roguelike with slot machines opens new playtest

There has been a lot of excitement around survival-horror roguelike Cloverpit - and it's no wonder given its sick artstyle and Balatro-style gripping game loop. Since it was first announced earlier this year, the eerie game has reached the top 100 most-wishlisted games on Steam. It's set to fill the Inscryption-shaped hole on my wishlist, and luckily for me, a first look at the full game is now available through a limited playtest you can sign up to right now.

There is something to be said about horror games with a simple premise. Like movies that keep their monsters hidden and force you to fill in the gaps, it's the terror of the unknown that makes the best horror games pack a terrifying punch.

Cloverpit is no exception. In this Balatro-inspired game, you are locked in a rusty cell with only a demonic slot machine and a creepy ATM to keep you company. But you are far from alone; your captor is watching, and you need to work fast to make enough money to pay off your debt to him, even if that means bending the rules to your advantage.

The gameplay might sound like fun, but make no mistake, this is supposed to be a dark tale about addiction and escape. Should you fail to pay off your debt, you'll quite literally fall to ruin through the aptly placed trapdoor under your feet. All of which sounds, quite frankly, stressful, terrifying, and strangely intriguing.

The game has already proved popular amongst players, with over 680,000 demo downloads, as well as emerging triumphant against 2,600 demos to land amongst the Top 20 Next Fest demos in June.

The trial version is still available, but you can now try the full game for yourself through a new playtest. Will you be able to pay off your debt, or will you continue to fall to your doom again and again?

Cloverpit currently has no definite release date, but it is set to launch sometime this summer. Both the demo and the playtest can be found on the Steam page.

Planning on returning to Balatro in the meantime? Then you should check out the latest on the best Balatro mods available.  Or, if you enjoy a good replayable game loop, then our guide has everything you need to know about the best roguelikes you can play right now.

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