Head of Discovery at Playstack
Patrick Johnson
Patrick is the Head of Discovery at Playstack, an award winning publisher with a mission to embrace the diversity of brilliant ideas. Playstack publishes fearless, delightful games to their fullest potential with dedication, expertise and extensive planning. Patrick’s first two signed games for Playstack were Balatro and Abiotic Factor – he combines his previous experience in freelance journalism with his deep knowledge of indie games in order to seek out and support potential development partners. When not chatting with devs he can usually be found playing PS1-era JRPGs.
Playing Your Cards Right: The Story of Balatro
June 11, 5.00 PM
How does an unexpected deck-building roguelike become one of the most talked-about indie games of 2024? In this fireside chat, we explore the rise of Balatro through the lens of its publisher. From the initial pitch to launch day and beyond, we’ll unpack the strategies, surprises, and lessons behind building and supporting a breakout success. What does it take to recognize the potential of a weird, wonderful idea — and how do you amplify it once the world starts paying attention?