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 personal Game of the Year. Both games received widespread critical acclaim.

Balatro, a pixel art deck-building game, launched in February 2024 to phenomenal success. However, 2024 was a banner year for indie games, with titles like Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50 also capturing significant attention. Animal Well, in particular, rivaled Balatro's critical reception.

LocalThunk, in a humorous Twitter post, awarded Animal Well the "Golden Thunk" award, praising its "engrossing experience," "style," and "secrets," calling it developer Billy Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso responded, affectionately calling LocalThunk "The Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year." This exchange highlighted the positive camaraderie within the indie game development community.

Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk also shared his other favorite indie games of 2024, including Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers (another solo-developed pixel art deck-building game), Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing. He detailed what he appreciated about each title.

Despite Balatro's massive success, LocalThunk continues to support the game with free updates. Three "Friends of Jimbo" updates have already introduced crossover content from popular IPs such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver, with a potential collaboration with another 2024 hit game on the horizon.

Summary

LocalThunk, Balatro's creator, names Animal Well his 2024 Game of the Year.
He highlights the shared success and positive relationship between indie developers.
LocalThunk also lists several other favorite indie games from 2024.
Despite Balatro's success, LocalThunk continues to release free updates and collaborations.