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

Quick Links

• Enabling Cheats in Balatro

• Using the Debug Menu in Balatro

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"). Find conf.lua and open it with a text editor (e.g., Notepad).

Change _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.

Using the Debug Menu in Balatro

Balatro's cheat menu is user-friendly. Most functions are self-explanatory. 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 converts it to a negative, effectively increasing your joker capacity.

All Balatro Cheats (Hold Tab to Open Menu)

Cheat / Key Effect 1Unlock a Collectible (while hovering) 2Discover a Collectible (while hovering) 3Spawn a Collectible (while hovering) QChange Joker Edition (while hovering in hand) HIsolate Background JPlay Splash Animation 8Toggle Cursor 9Toggle All Tooltips $10Adds $10 to Total +1 RoundIncreases Round by 1 +1 AnteIncreases Ante by 1 +1 HandAdds one Hand +1 DiscardAdds one Discard Boss RerollRerolls the Boss BackgroundRemoves Background +10 ChipsAdds 10 Chips +10 MultAdds 10 to Multiplier X2 ChipsDoubles Chips X10 MultIncreases Multiplier by 10 Win this RunCompletes Current Run Lose this RunEnds Current Run ResetResets Current Run JimboMakes Jimbo Appear Jimbo TalkDisplays Jimbo Text Box