Luck be a Landlord | Steam Deck Review

January 20, 2025 Scott Clark

Years ago, a friend of mine told me to download a game on my phone called SpinCraft. I absolutely loved it. I even paid for the ad-free version of the game, because I wanted to support the developer that much. The game mysteriously disappeared from my device, and I missed it a great deal. Thankfully, Trampoline Tales answered my prayers with their release of Luck be a Landlord, which originally appeared on Steam in 2023. Seeing how it’s getting a console release in February, I thought it was time to bring this title to everyone’s attention.

Some Other Guys’ Dice

On its surface, Luck be a Landlord looks like a simple slot machine game. You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones you see at casinos with all the flashing lights that everyone pretends they understand how they score? Yeah, those are the one. This is a game like that with a bit more purpose and no gambling whatsoever. It offers the excitement of chance involving slots without the risk of losing your life savings.

The premise is silly, but also kind of fun. You’re apparently living in an apartment complex run by a landlord who only communicates with you via e-mail. Your rent is shockingly cheap, but increases exponentially each month. Thankfully, the apartment lobby has a slot machine that you can use to earn extra money. Nothing nefarious there, right? Hey, you’re not playing this one for a plot. It’s all about racking up those gold coins.

The twist from a typical slot machine here is that you start out with only a handful of symbols available to you. After each spin, you get to choose from one of three symbols to add to your “wheels”. On your next spin, your set of symbols now includes whatever you just added, and they’re all randomly placed on the board. You then receive coins based on where those symbols show up. Some of the basic symbols just offer a coin or two, but others offer buffs to increase your output based on positioning. It’s one of those situations that makes sense when you see it in action, but it’s hard to put in words.

Keep This Party Polite

The number of available symbols in Luck be a Landlord is nearly overwhelming. Your goal is to select symbols that work well with the symbols you’ve already chosen. For instance, a “cat” symbol matches well with a “milk” symbol, yielding higher amounts of coins. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know what symbols you’ll roll on each spin, which means you have really no insight as to what to choose. And that’s just a simple example of the numerous symbols and combinations available. In that regard, this makes it a true slot machine game, as luck is a major factor. Sure, you have a choice as to what symbols you can add, but you never know if you made the right decision until it’s too late.

There are a few permanent upgrades for each run as well, which make things a bit easier. For instance, I discovered a lockpick, which gives me a 30% chance to unlock anything that can be unlocked (safes, lockboxes, etc.) that appears on my screen. These items don’t rely on a spin and are always active on each run. Much like regular symbols, they are also numerous and completely random.

In true slot machine fashion, there’s a lot going on both visually and audibly. Each spin totals up your added coins incredibly fast, so there’s almost no wait time between each spin. As the coins add up, it makes a sound of increasing value that is forever pleasing to the ear. It definitely keeps you coming back for “one more run”, which is what you want in this style of game.

Luck be a Landlord Final Verdict

Admittedly, I haven’t been able to complete a run of Luck be a Landlord yet. I’ve yet to devise a solid strategy, yet I keep getting farther and farther each time. Even if you don’t make it, it’s a lot of fun to play. The only downside to this as opposed to something like Balatro is that luck plays a massive factor when playing. That is, unless I just haven’t figured out a way to better lean Lady Luck on my side. It’s obviously not going to stop me from playing it more, and I plan to pick it up on console once it arrives. I recommend giving it a shot, as its deceptively deep in scope and gameplay.

To hear me talk more about Luck Be a Landlord, be sure to listen to our January 22nd, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Luck be a Landlord on Steam. On February 6th, it will also be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.