Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the creator of the hugely successful indie game Balatro, has declared Animal Well his Game of the Year for 2024. This accolade, jokingly dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the captivating gameplay and stylish secrets of Animal Well, calling it developer Billy Basso's "true masterpiece." Balatro, a deck-building game which sold over 3.5 million copies in 2024, received critical acclaim alongside other indie hits like Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50. However, Animal Well particularly impressed LocalThunk, who praised its immersive experience on Twitter. Basso, in response, lauded LocalThunk as a "humble dev." The mutual respect between these two successful indie developers has been celebrated by fans.

Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk also shared his appreciation for several other 2024 indie titles, including Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing, highlighting their individual merits. Interestingly, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a pixel art deck-building game created by a solo developer.

Despite Balatro's phenomenal success, LocalThunk continues to support the game with free updates. Three "Friends of Jimbo" updates have already introduced crossover content from popular titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. Further collaborations with other top 2024 games are hinted at.