Dice A Million Review: Balatro on Steroids, Evil Bosses Revealed
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Developer | 2 Left Thumbs |
Steam Next Fest recently had us all in a chokehold, serving up a smorgasbord of Balatro-likes. Many tried, some impressed, but honestly, it wasn't until this past weekend that we truly stumbled onto something special: a dice-rolling roguelite called Dice A Million. And let us tell you, the title isn't hyperbole – this game genuinely feels like Balatro on steroids, and its bosses? Pure, unadulterated evil.
If you're anything like us, you've been devouring every demo in sight. But we’ve been hooked on the Dice A Million demo daily since discovering it. The best part? You don't have to suffer through the agonizing wait for a full release. It launched just last week and, even better, it’s currently on sale on Steam until March 11. Grab it while you can.
The Balatro-esque Loop, Amplified
At its core, Dice A Million is what it says on the tin: Balatro, but with dice. You kick off with a handful of dice and a score target for the round. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The escalation here is swift and glorious. The genius lies in how rounds conclude: not when you hit the score, but when you run out of rolls. This seemingly minor tweak is a game-changer, allowing you to rack up truly absurd scores and, more importantly, a mountain of cash between rounds.
Think about it: in early Balatro, you're usually scraping by, maybe grabbing a new Joker or a couple of consumables if you're lucky. Going on a proper shopping spree is a late-game luxury. Not so in Dice A Million. Even in the nascent stages, we found ourselves swimming in currency, indulging in massive shopping binges. We’re talking new dice, "cards" that boost rolls and enchant existing dice, and "magic rings" that dish out all sorts of bonkers bonuses. It’s an early game economy that encourages immediate, joyful min-maxing and experimentation, a stark contrast to the often tight early turns of its poker-deck cousin.
A D&D Set's Worth of Wonderful Chaos
The dice themselves are where Dice A Million truly flexes its inventive muscles. You begin with some fairly pedestrian options – three or four-faced dice, nothing to write home about. But quickly, your virtual hand transforms into a full-blown D&D arsenal: D8s, D10s, D20s, and then some genuinely surprising additions. Our absolute favorite has to be the die that, instead of numbers, has other dice from the game on its faces. Roll it, and whatever die it lands on, that die then gets rolled. It’s meta, it’s wild, and yes, it makes perfect sense once you see it in action.
But the bizarre fun doesn't stop there. We're talking dice that enchant neighbors, charge up alt-powers, or even conjure phantom copies of other dice. There are jacks, bottle caps, coins – essentially, if you can imagine flipping, throwing, or rolling it, it’s probably lurking somewhere in Dice A Million. One standout is a Rubik's cube die: roll it, and each of its six faces pops off and is scored individually. The sheer, glorious chaos these wacky magical dice unleash means your scores will be absolutely blasting through the roof. Until, that is, you meet the bosses.
"Pure Evil" Bosses That Will End Your Mad Rolls
Hold your roll, indeed. Because while the game lets you amass an army of hyper-powerful dice, Dice A Million is also home to some truly brutal bosses. These aren't just bigger numbers; they're tactical nightmares designed to shut down your carefully constructed engines. We’ve had many a promising run come to an abrupt, fiery end thanks to these monstrosities.
Imagine this: one boss flat-out ignores any even-numbered rolls, effectively halving your score unless you’ve been clever enough to stock up on only odd-rolling dice. Another ignites sections of your rolling zone, incinerating any dice that stray too close to the flames. And then there's the truly sadistic one that multiplies all your dice by zero every other roll. You don't need to be a math wizard to know what that does to your score. These encounters aren't just challenging; they demand foresight and adaptability, forcing you to reconsider your entire dice-crafting meta before each confrontation.
Economy Shocks and a Glimmer of Hope
Beyond the bosses, the other major hurdle is the post-boss economy. While you start swimming in cash, prepare for sticker shock. After you defeat a boss, store prices for new dice and cards skyrocket from a few bucks into the hundreds. This means while the early game is a free-for-all, later levels become brutally tough, requiring much more strategic spending and setup.
The good news? The developers, 2 Left Thumbs, are on it. A significant balance patch dropped this past weekend, and more updates are promised, which might just ease the difficulty curve a touch. Personally, we’re mostly okay with the evil bosses and the brutal economy. Because, at the end of the day, the core loop is just plain fun. As one of our colleagues perfectly summarized the experience:
Personally, I'm OK with the evil bosses and brutal economy, because it's just fun to amass a huge, weird arsenal of magical dice and watch the numbers go up when I roll them, even if I don't last too long.
And that’s the true spirit of Dice A Million. It’s a game where the journey of building that ludicrous, score-exploding dice engine is its own reward, even if some pure evil boss is waiting to set it all on fire. Head over to Steam and check it out – you won’t regret it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of game is Dice A Million and how does it compare to Balatro?
- Dice A Million is a dice-rolling roguelite that the article describes as 'Balatro on steroids,' featuring a similar loop but with dice mechanics and amplified escalation.
- When did Dice A Million launch and is it currently on sale?
- Dice A Million launched just last week, prior to March 3, 2026, and is currently on sale on Steam until March 11, 2026.
- Who is the developer of Dice A Million?
- Dice A Million was developed by the studio 2 Left Thumbs, as indicated in the article preview.
- What is unique about how rounds conclude in Dice A Million?
- Unlike other games where rounds end upon reaching a score, Dice A Million rounds conclude when you run out of rolls, allowing for much higher scores and more currency accumulation.