Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the hugely successful indie game Balatro (which sold over 3.5 million copies in 2024), has declared Animal Well his Game of the Year. Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024.

LocalThunk's praise for Animal Well, created by Billy Basso of Shared Memory, wasn't just a casual mention. In a humorous Twitter post, he bestowed the "Golden Thunk" award upon Animal Well, highlighting its captivating gameplay, stylish presentation, and hidden secrets, calling it Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso responded with a gracious acknowledgement, referring to LocalThunk as a remarkably humble developer. The exchange highlighted the positive camaraderie within the indie game development community, with fans celebrating both games in the comments.

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, detailing what he enjoyed about each in a follow-up tweet. Interestingly, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a pixel art deck-building game developed by a single creator.

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. He's even hinted at a potential collaboration with another top 2024 game for a future crossover.