Ultrapool brings some Balatro-like brain teasing to the baize

Regular readers will know that the Balatro-like has become a supreme sub-genre since LocalThunk's hypnotic roguelike captured everyone's attention back in 2022. On an almost weekly basis, it feels like we see something new that's reading from that particular playbook. Ultrapool is the latest effort to take a shot at it, and let’s just say, I had to force myself to stop playing to pen this hands-on.  While I have nothing against pool - although it's not snooker, let's be honest - it's not a sport that often makes for an exciting game, particularly since it's usually fairly easy and devoid of tactics once you take out side spin and screw shots. There's a reason Mousebreaker decided to turn all the balls into bombs to slot in some semblance of jeopardy, after all. However, with Ultrapool, adding the now-familiar Balatro setup adds a desperately needed strategy layer.  ... [MORE]