Title: Black Jacket
Developer: Mipumi Games
Publisher: Skystone Games
Planned Release Date: 2026
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC via Steam, Linux, MacOS, Mobile (Android), Amazon Fire TV, Ouya
Price: TBD
The Devil Went Down to Boss Rush
Black Jacket is basically Balatro meets blackjack, and the execution is spectacular.
The premise is simple. Your soul is damned to hell, and the only way out is to gamble your way to freedom via games of blackjack. This is not your daddy’s card table though, and Black Jacket very much does to blackjack what Balatro did to poker, as you are playing cards with special powers and chaining combinations together to give you the edge over your opponent.
This is an excellent demo, and It has me fully on-board for the full release. The game looks and sounds fantastic. the core gameplay is addicting and well-thought out, and the promised features give a reason to look forward. Black Jacket‘s demo absolutely knocked it out of the park, and I can’t wait to play it on release.
Presentation
Black Jacket presents itself spectacularly. It fully leans into the thematics of gambling your way out of hell, and this is represented in every aspect. Options on the menu crackle and burn as you highlight them, the cards themselves are singed around the edges, and even your cursor is the skeletal hand of an undead denizen. This is accompanied by a soundtrack that stays refreshing throughout, and provides a feeling of dread without becoming distracting.
The visuals are remarkable, and the card effects are an absolute joy to see. I was also very impressed with the characterization, considering you only ever see the hands of the various characters you meet. The tutorial aid, Reed, conveys a tremendous amount of character simply through gestures of his hand and a fantastic vocal performance. Visually, Black Jacket absolutely stands out from the crowd.
Gameplay
If you’ve played 2024’s sensation Balatro, you’ll be in for a similar experience here, swapping poker for blackjack. The core of the experience is blackjack, as you seek to play cards to reach as close as possible to the number 21 without going over. Like Balatro, the twist is that the cards you play have special abilities that can significantly alter how the game is played. Each round begins with a wager, and you are looking to reduce your opponent’s coin to zero before they do it to you. This is situated inside a roguelike deck-builder, where you advance through the underworld, deciding on your path, as you are given chances to upgrade your cards, buy new ones, and gain powerful permanent buffs. All this for a chance to face off against a demon at the end of your path. If you lose, you start all over. If you win, you advance to a new area to do it all again against a brand new demon.
The gameplay feels sensational. It gives the same addicting feeling as a Balatro run, and because I personally enjoy blackjack more than poker, I find the central gameplay to be even more enjoyable. There are multiple types of decks that provide different playing experiences, and enemies that have game-altering modifiers make each run feel unique. It is also impressive how much the demo contains, while also hinting towards features that will be contained in the full release, such as a more fleshed-out narrative.
Final Score
If you love Balatro, blackjack, or deckbuilders in general, I highly recommend keeping your eyes on Black Jacket. The demo is an impressive showing, with a strong art-style that is totally committed to the vibe of being trapped in the underworld, and gameplay that is strong enough to withstand comparison to a titan of the industry such as Balatro. I had a wonderful time with the demo, and I can’t wait for the release to continue my pursuit of gambling my way out of hell.
Featured Image: Mipumi Games
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