Balatro, the 2024 breakout hit selling over 3.5 million copies and earning three Game Awards, maintains immense popularity due to its innovative gameplay and high replayability. However, seasoned players might seek ways to refresh their experience. While mods offer one solution, utilizing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, preserving achievements. This guide details how to access and utilize this cheat menu.
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How to Enable Cheats in Balatro
To activate Balatro's debug menu and access 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 not found, access it through your Steam library: right-click Balatro, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."
Right-click Balatro.exe and 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, revert the _RELEASE_MODE parameter to true.
How to Use the Debug Menu in Balatro
Balatro's cheat menu is user-friendly. Unlock items 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 your hand converts it to a negative, effectively allowing unlimited jokers.
All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)
Cheat / Key
Effect
