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Artifact vs Balatro
Live Steam player count comparison, updated every 10 minutes. Both are Strategy games.
Artifact is currently the more played game: 8,393 concurrent players on Steam right now vs 8,349 for Balatro, a similar number of players. Artifact has been ahead for 1 day straight, and has led on 48 days of the 57 days Coilr has tracked both games. Balatro counters with better Steam reviews: 98% positive vs 47%. Artifact is free to play, while Balatro costs $14.99. Across all tracked metrics, Artifact leads 6 of 10.
These are Steam players only. A game that also runs on its own launcher, a storefront of its own or on console has players this number cannot see, so read it as a comparison of Steam audiences rather than of total ones.
Which one have you played more?
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Artifact
Balatro
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Player count history
ArtifactBalatro
Tracked by Coilr since May 2026 · Steam polled every 10 minutes · methodology
Head-to-head record
Artifact has had the higher daily player count for the last 1 day. Balatro last led on Sep 21, 2026.
Artifact led 48 daysBalatro led 9 days
Days tracked
57
Current streak
1 day
Artifact
Lead changes
14
Closest gap
2%
Aug 20, 2026
How this works: each game's daily average concurrent players (from Coilr's 10-minute Steam polls), compared on the 57 days where both games have data. Whichever averages higher leads that day. methodology
| Metric | Artifact | Balatro |
|---|---|---|
| Players right now | 8,393 | 8,349 |
| 24-hour peak | 11,519 | 8,409 |
| 7-day average | 10,568 | 7,053 |
| 30-day average | 10,589 | 7,246 |
| 30-day trend | −3% | −6% |
| Peak (tracked) | 12,287 | 9,984 |
| Steam reviews | 47% positive | 98% positive |
| Recent reviews (3 mo) | 52% positive | 96% positive |
| Total reviews | 24,753 | 198,711 |
| Owners (SteamSpy est.) | ~1,000,000 | ~2,000,000 |
| Release date | Nov 28, 2018 | Feb 20, 2024 |
| Price | Free to play | $14.99 |
Full stats: Artifact · Balatro · add more games to this comparison →
Players by month
| Month | Artifact | Balatro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | Peak | Avg | Peak | |
| May 2026 | — | — | 7,566 | 9,340 |
| Jun 2026 | — | — | 7,012 | 9,289 |
| Jul 2026 | 9,925 | 12,287 | 7,504 | 9,572 |
| Aug 2026 | 9,189 | 12,021 | 7,756 | 9,984 |
| Sep 2026 (so far) | 9,230 | 11,972 | 7,153 | 9,690 |
Monthly average and peak concurrent players on Steam, from Coilr's own tracking (10-minute polls, hourly beyond 30 days).
Frequently asked
Which has more players, Artifact or Balatro?
Artifact currently has more players: 8,393 concurrent players on Steam vs 8,349 for Balatro, a similar number of players.
Is Artifact bigger than Balatro on Steam?
Over the last 30 days Artifact averaged 10,589 concurrent players and Balatro averaged 7,246. By that measure Artifact is currently the bigger game.
Has Balatro ever had more players than Artifact?
Yes. Across the 57 days Coilr has tracked both games, Balatro had the higher daily average on 9 days, most recently on Sep 21, 2026. Artifact has led for the last 1 day.
Is Artifact better than Balatro?
By Steam review score, Balatro rates higher: 98% positive across 198,711 reviews vs 47% across 24,753 for Artifact. Artifact has the larger player base right now (8,393 vs 8,349 concurrent). Player counts, ratings, price and trend are compared side by side above.
Is Artifact growing or declining on Steam?
Artifact averaged 10,589 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 3% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 12,287.
Is Balatro growing or declining on Steam?
Balatro averaged 7,246 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 6% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 9,984.