Much-anticipated 'horror Balatro' delays launch to dodge Hollow Knight Silksong

It takes a special kind of game to inspire a flock of other developers to follow in its wake. Dark Souls is one. Rogue another, although many younger roguelike players have no clue where the name comes from. Many are starting to coin the term 'Balatro-like,' as well. CloverPit is one of many such games, inspired by LocalThunk's effortlessly engaging poker roguelike. Replace the deck of cards with a one-armed bandit, and add in a sprinkle of scares, and you've got a recipe for success. However, CloverPit developer Panik Arcade has had to push its release back, and it's all down to Hollow Knight: Silksong.

There's only one game on the internet's lips since the Hollow Knight: Silksong release date was revealed, and I'm afraid it's not CloverPit. No matter how good your roguelike game is, it sure to be eaten up by Team Cherry's long-awaited Metroidvania if released anywhere near September 4.

CloverPit was due to release one day prior. While some players may have jumped in for the 24 hours before Hollow Knight: Silksong's release, Panik Arcade wanted them to enjoy the full experience, free from the time pressure and constant allure of Hornet's adventure. A two-week delay seems prudent in such circumstances.

Elsewhere in the indie gaming world, Peak sent a goodbye message to its players, also inspired by Team Cherry's announcement. "The patch is live with some new fixes," the developer writes regarding the latest update. "We hope you enjoy Peak for the next two weeks until you all move on to Silksong."

Indie developers are clearly having some fun with the biggest announcement since the GTA 6 delay, but Silksong could have a larger impact on September's slate of releases. While the likes of Borderlands 4 will probably be fine, smaller indies are shifting plans to avoid being completely enveloped by the bug-based hype.

CloverPit's new release date is Friday, September 26. You can wishlist it on Steam here.

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