Balatro, the 2024 breakout hit selling over 3.5 million copies and earning multiple Game Awards, maintains immense popularity. However, seasoned players might seek ways to revitalize their gameplay. While mods offer one solution, utilizing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, preserving achievements. This guide details how to activate and utilize this cheat menu.
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How to Enable Cheats in Balatro
To access Balatro's debug menu and its cheats, you'll need 7-Zip (free, open-source software). Locate your Balatro installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro). If unsure, find Balatro in your Steam library, right-click, select "Manage," then "Browse Local Files."
Right-click Balatro.exe and choose to open the archive with 7-Zip (may be under "Show More Options"). Inside, find 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 menu, 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 your hand transforms it into a negative, effectively increasing your joker count.
All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)
Cheat / Key
Effect
