A Game of the Year contender and wildly successful, Balatro came out of nowhere this year from an anonymous developer called LocalThunk. It sounds like the perfect feel-good story, but the creator of the poker-inspired roguelike title has been thinking about releasing it for a long time.

Speaking to GQ, LocalThunk reflected on what a whirlwind 2024 has been since Balatro’s launch and whether the card game’s supernova rise has led to any regrets. “Honestly, yes,” said the Balatro creator. “Don’t get me wrong – this has changed my life in many amazing ways. I’m so grateful. But I miss that time before. It was just a hobby that recharged my batteries. Sometimes I think, “Maybe I would have been happier if I had never released this game to the public.”

The developer added that he also realizes that he is “very lucky” as he could probably quit his job and be laid off today due to financial reasons. However, LocalThunk plans to update Balatro next year. In fact, you can expect new jokers to come to the game in 2025, as the creator notes that he has “a lot of fun ideas.” Balatro has received a few updates since its release, including crossovers with Stardew Valley and Cyberpunk 2077. In fact, CD Projekt Red has just returned the love by adding a Balatro quest to the action RPG as part of a new update.

Don’t bet on there being a follow-up game to Batatro. “If I were to make another game after Balatro, which I’m not really thinking about at the moment, it would be really cathartic to make it and not show it to anyone,” LocalThunk explained.

Balatro is one of GameSpot’s 10 Best Games of 2024. The card game is also nominated for Game of the Year at the Game Awards tonight.