Balatro and Silksong "Don't Make Sense Financially" And Are "Deeply Loved," Says Analyst

"They don't make rational sense financially, and yet somehow they are deeply loved."

"I'm a big fan of the idea that low tech is a much more interesting design factor than high tech. I think, demonstrably, whenever new technology comes out, what studios tend to do is just increase the final product. They make it more complex, and therefore they negate the productivity gains."

"I think increasingly it's clear that what people want is a $20 Silksong game that's challenging, but it doesn't have to make my eyes bleed in order for me to want it."

Shifting macroeconomics in the videogame industry are allowing smaller projects to become major commercial successes, comparable to how television changed Hollywood's model. Free-to-play titles now compete with big-budget blockbusters, while some games occupy neither model, exemplified by Silksong. Lower-tech production values can be an advantage because studios often use new technology to increase complexity rather than productivity. Smaller teams and modest budgets can leverage productivity shifts to deliver impressive, focused experiences. Consumer demand appears to favor challenging, lower-priced games around $20 that prioritize gameplay over graphical excess. Balatro became one of the App Store's most downloaded games in 2025.

Read at GameSpot