BOOMSTICK CITYLoved Balatro? Try a card game against real people
Updated August 2026
Boomstick City is not another Balatro, and we will not pretend it is. Balatro is a single-player roguelike about stacking Jokers and juicing poker hands into absurd numbers, and it is close to perfect at that. If you want another solo, run-based roguelike, this is not it. But if Balatro gave you the card-game itch and you want to point it at an actual person, Boomstick City is a free, head-to-head card game that opens in a browser. All four crews free on day one, a match in around eight turns, nothing to install.
The four crews, yours free from day one
Let us be honest: different genre
Balatro is single-player. Seeded runs, an ante to beat, poker hands, Jokers, and the perfect solitaire loop of one more run. Boomstick City is a versus card game. You play against another person, racing them to 15 Territory Points on a shared board.
So if what you want is another roguelike to grind runs against, we are not that, and Balatro or a game like Slay the Spire will serve you better. What we are is the card-game part aimed at a human.
What actually carries over
The thing that hooks people in Balatro is the build. Reading what you have, spotting the combo, and assembling an engine that suddenly pops off. That satisfaction is here, in a versus shape.
Boomstick City decks combo too. Scrapwright loops Gear off dead Survivors, Powderkeg chains Explode payoffs, Hearth snowballs a wide board, Glow spreads Radiation and feeds on the dying. Same joy of building a machine, except now someone across the table is trying to break it.
Free, and you play a person
Balatro is a paid game, and an easy recommendation at the price. Boomstick City is free and multiplayer. You are not beating a seed, you are outreading another player, which is its own kind of good.
There is an economy, Gold for packs and cosmetics, but it is optional and never the price of a match. The four starter decks are free and complete from the first game.
Quick like a run, but versus
A Balatro run is a tight, self-contained session. A Boomstick City match is the same kind of short. You spend Volts, energy that ramps a point a turn, play your cards on one shared board, and race to 15.
Most matches land around eight turns. Clear the enemy board and their Stash opens for extra points, and there is no turn limit, so it stays decisive.
Four crews to build around
Picking a crew is a little like picking the shape of a run, except these are full factions with their own payoffs. Scrapwright grinds, Powderkeg explodes, Hearth goes wide, Glow rots the board down.
All four are free, and you get every one of them to build with before you spend a coin.
Play it between runs
Keep Balatro for the solo dopamine. It earns every hour.
When you want to point that same card-game brain at a person, Boomstick City is free and one click away.
| Boomstick City | Balatro | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Head-to-head vs a person | Single-player roguelike |
| Price | Free to play | Paid, one-time |
| A session | A match, around eight turns | A run, until you win or bust |
| The goal | Race a rival to 15 | Beat the ante with poker hands |
| Where it runs | Any browser, no install | Installed game (PC, console, mobile) |
| The card itch | Build a combo, beat a human | Build a combo, beat the seed |
Common questions
Is Boomstick City like Balatro?
Not in genre. Balatro is a single-player roguelike about poker hands and Jokers. Boomstick City is a head-to-head card game you play against another person, free, in a browser. What carries over is the joy of building a card combo and watching it pop off, now in a versus match instead of a solo run.
Is there a multiplayer game like Balatro?
Balatro itself is single-player, so if you want the card-combo feeling against a real opponent, Boomstick City is one option. It is free, runs in a browser, and pits your deck against another player in a match of around eight turns.
Is Boomstick City free? Balatro costs money.
Yes, Boomstick City is free to play, where Balatro is a one-time purchase. All four starter decks are free at full strength. There is an optional economy, Gold for packs and cosmetics, but none of it is required to play or win.
Do I need to install it?
No. Balatro is an installed game. Boomstick City runs in any modern browser on desktop or phone, so there is nothing to download. Open the page and you are in a match.
Is it a roguelike?
No. There are no seeded runs, antes, or permadeath. It is a head-to-head card game where you race a rival to 15 Territory Points on a shared board. If you specifically want another roguelike deckbuilder, Balatro or Slay the Spire fit better.
the Inscryption comparison · meet the four free crews · how a match works · all the comparisons
Point that brain at a person
Free, head-to-head, all four crews yours from the first match. Open the page and race to 15.
Play free