Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the incredibly successful indie game Balatro (which sold over 3.5 million copies in 2024), has declared Animal Well his "Game of the Year." This accolade, humorously dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights Animal Well's "engrossing experience," unique style, and hidden secrets. LocalThunk praised Animal Well's developer, Billy Basso of Shared Memory, calling the game Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso responded by acknowledging LocalThunk's kind words, referring to him as a remarkably humble and kind developer.

This mutual admiration generated positive feedback from fans, celebrating the camaraderie and supportive spirit within the indie game development community.

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 his reasons for enjoying each. Notably, 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 actively support the game with free updates. Three "Friends of Jimbo" updates have already introduced crossover content from popular games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. He has also teased a potential future collaboration with another prominent 2024 title.

Key Takeaways:

• Animal Well crowned LocalThunk's Game of the Year: High praise for Animal Well and its developer, Billy Basso.
• Indie developer solidarity: The positive interaction between LocalThunk and Basso showcased the supportive nature of the indie game community.
• Balatro's continued success and updates: Despite its sales success, Balatro continues to receive free updates and crossover content.
• LocalThunk's other favorite games of 2024: A list of additional indie games that impressed LocalThunk.