How to Use Cheats in Balatro (Debug Menu Guide)

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 refresh their gameplay. While mods offer one solution, accessing Balatro's built-in developer debug menu provides an alternative, preserving achievements. This guide details how to enable and utilize this cheat menu.

Quick Links

• Enabling Cheats in Balatro
• Using the Debug Menu

Enabling Cheats in Balatro

To activate Balatro's debug menu and 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 open the archive using 7-Zip (may be under "Show More Options"). Locate conf.lua and open it with a text editor (e.g., Notepad).

Modify _RELEASE_MODE = true to _RELEASE_MODE = false, save the file. If saving fails, extract conf.lua to your desktop, make the change, and replace the original. The debug menu (accessed by holding Tab in-game) will now be active. To disable, revert _RELEASE_MODE to true.

Using 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 allowing unlimited jokers.

All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)