Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the hugely successful indie game Balatro (3.5 million copies sold!), has declared Animal Well his personal Game of the Year for 2024. This accolade, jokingly dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the captivating gameplay, stylish design, and hidden secrets of Animal Well, praising its creator, Billy Basso, and his "true masterpiece."

Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024, a year brimming with other notable indie titles like Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50. Basso, in response to LocalThunk's praise, affectionately acknowledged him as a particularly kind and humble developer. The mutual admiration between these creators, and the positive response from fans, underscore a strong sense of community within the indie game development scene.

LocalThunk's Top Indie Games of 2024

Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk shared his other favorite indie games from 2024, including: Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing. He highlighted specific aspects he enjoyed about each, noting the interesting similarities between Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers and his own Balatro (both pixel art deck-builders created by solo developers).

Despite Balatro's remarkable success, LocalThunk continues to support the game with free updates. Three "Friends of Jimbo" updates have already introduced crossover content from popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver, with hints of another major crossover in the works.