Among all the “what if Balatro, but” projects out there, none are as appalling and disrespectful as Birdigo, which presents itself as “what if Balatro, but Wordle”. For those unfamiliar, Balatro is a popular poker roguelite game from 2024, while Wordle is the latest offering from the New York Times.
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Before the fans of the New York Times come after me for being too critical, I must admit that a significant portion of Rock Paper Shotgun’s daily readership comes from Wordle guides. While I’m not obsessed with Wordle guides, I must say that they are quite popular. The thought of combining these two games is like witnessing a cosmic collision, especially when you throw birds into the mix. Yes, Balatro and Wordle combined result in birds. These are the kind of puns that make our loved ones and colleagues avoid us.
Birdigo is the brainchild of John August, known for his work on Corpse Bride and Charlie’s Angels, and Corey Martin, developer of Bonfire Peaks. Apparently, this collaboration started on a podcast, which is never a good sign. The core gameplay involves forming words with letter tiles to earn “flaps” and guide a group of wild birds across the world. The Steam page also mentions Scrabble as an influence. If they were truly creative, they would have come up with a pun incorporating Scrabble into the game’s title, but I suppose “Birdigrabble” didn’t quite make the cut.
The Balatro aspect introduces multipliers and modifiers that enhance the scoring system. According to the Steam page, “Longer words yield higher scores, but specific combos can turn short words into powerhouses. Use enchanted feathers, letters, and songs to alter the game’s rules as you progress.” Putting jokes aside, this game seems like it could be quite enjoyable. It is set to release on July 30th, with a demo available on Steam.
