Balatro, the 2024 breakout hit selling over 3.5 million copies and winning multiple Game Awards, continues to captivate players. However, mastering its mechanics might leave some seeking new challenges. While mods offer one solution, accessing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, allowing for cheat usage without impacting achievements.
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How to Enable Cheats in Balatro
To activate Balatro's debug menu and utilize its built-in cheats, you'll need 7-Zip, a free, open-source archiving tool. Locate your Balatro installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro). If you can't find it, access it through your Steam library: right-click Balatro, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."
Right-click Balatro.exe and choose to open the archive using 7-Zip (this might be under "Show More Options," depending on your OS and 7-Zip settings). Locate conf.lua and open it with a text editor (like Notepad).
Modify _RELEASE_MODE = true to _RELEASE_MODE = false, then save. If saving fails, extract conf.lua to your desktop, make the change, and replace the original file. The debug menu will now activate by holding the Tab key in-game.
To disable the debug menu, simply revert _RELEASE_MODE to true in conf.lua.
How to Use the Debug Menu in Balatro
Balatro's cheat menu is user-friendly. Unlock collectibles by hovering and pressing '1'; spawn jokers by hovering and pressing '3'. Initially limited to five jokers, pressing 'Q' four times on a joker in hand transforms it into a negative, effectively increasing your joker limit.
All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)
Cheat / Key
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