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.
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