The creators of analog horror gameHome Safety Hotlineare returning withForbidden Solitaire, a spooky card-based title that promises a spin on the era of 90s FMV.Forbidden Solitairewas recently announced via an official trailer that teases plenty of wild horror-filled imagery that is balanced out with charming low-res style. Its predecessor was a fun take on the analog horror genre, andForbidden Solitaireseems primed to continue the retro-inspired scares.
From the game’s Steam page, the basic premise ofForbidden Solitaireis this: “It’s 2019. You brought home a strange yet familiar 1995 CD-ROM game from the thrift store. You vaguely remember seeing ads for this game, and some kind of controversy, but you never got the chance to play it. Until now.” Unraveling the mystery that is promised is an exciting prospect, but it also presents a unique blend that could bring both horror fans andBalatroplayers together for one experience.Balatrowas one of last year’s most surprising successes, and a horror-inspired counterpart may be a solid game to dive into next.
Forbidden Solitaire Mixes Balatro’s Card Gameplay With Home Safety Hotline’s Retro Horror
Forbidden SolitaireandBalatromay not be actively connected in any way, but the two sharing a card-focused premise makes the former a great new route for gamers to venture down. ForBalatroto be such a simple premise, it made waves last year. The card game holds a lot of surprising charm with its art style and mechanics, and there are bound to be plenty ofBalatroplayers who crave something fresh, yet familiar. AlthoughForbidden Solitaire’s name implies that it may be more of a simplistic approach to card games thanBalatro’s unique blendof multiple games, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a satisfying time.
On the game’s official Steam page, the developers promise “bloodletting solitaire gameplay.” This definitely raises more questions than anything, but the tease of a gore-filled solitaire game is a hilariously unique premise. Many of the details featured onForbidden Solitaire’s Steam page are purposefully vague, but its colorful palette and card focus do indeed feelreminiscent ofBalatro. It’s unclear if co-developers Grey Alien Games and Night Signal Entertainment were directly inspired byBalatro, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they were.
Forbidden Solitaire’s predecessor,Home Safety Hotline, tasks players with working at a call center that handles incoming reports about supernatural occurrences happening in people’s homes.
Forbidden Solitaireseems primed to continue the retro-inspired scares.
Balatro Could Inspire a Wave of Fresh Card Games
Last year saw several surprising games rise through the ranks to go head-to-head with huge AAA releases. BetweenHelldivers 2,Palworld, andBalatro, the beginning of 2024 was a huge moment for smaller studios. Even more impressive,Balatrowas created by a single developer. Such success from a solo developer is already something to celebrate, but the amount of awardsBalatrowon made 2024 even sweeter for the indie hit.
Because of this huge success, there are bound to be other developers who follow with their own card games. Of course, the idea forForbidden Solitairemay have been conceived beforeBalatroever hit the market, but as one of the first indie card games to arrive on the scene after the latter’s launch, it could greatly benefit from the hype. In the past, the deck-building genre has been a little more niche than other games, butBalatrohas potentially opened the door to a wider audience.
Balatrois the first solo-developed game to be nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards.
As of now,Forbidden Solitairehas yet to have a release date set in stone. With its estimated length of two to three hours, thisfollow-up toHome Safety Hotlinecould be the perfect short story that bringsBalatroand horror fans together to enjoy a title that promises fun visuals and a chilling mystery.
