I’ve just uninstalled and removed Balatro after yet a near, very close 8/8 ante finish. I have been failing and failing, I’ve only ever seen and gotten to 8/8 ante twice, this being the second time. Every other run has been just insulting me to where no strategy has ever worked, I feel like a lot of it is RNG and pre-determined outcomes based on seeded runs.
And I hate that way of playing. It always feels like I’m getting smacked down by a troll bully who I can never overcome. They’d kick me down every failed run I’d have, then they give me a false sense of security the further I get. “Awwww, getting tired of being owned? Here, let me help you by giving you a few seemingly lucky breaks. SMACK Oh! OWNED YOU AGAIN! FUCK YOU! LOLLOLOL! I BANGED YOUR MOTHER, GIT GUD, NOOB!1”
I just don’t understand why these kinds of games are around, even when I have a good idea who it is for.
MtG draft scratched this itch for me for a few years. With a little gaming of the system on Magic Arena, it’s definitely possible to play for free or near-free once you get good enough at it, but I was already a veteran Magic player by the time Arena came out, and there are few things with a higher learning curve than draft.
You might like JRPGs with job systems. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a recent one. Final Fantasy Tactics and Bravely Default are a couple of my favorites in this vein.