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 2024. This accolade, playfully dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the "engrossing experience, style, and secrets" of Animal Well, calling it Shared Memory developer Billy Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso, in turn, praised LocalThunk as a "Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year." This exchange underscores the positive camaraderie within the indie game development community.

Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024. Balatro, a pixel art deck-building game, garnered praise from critics and players alike. Animal Well, a Metroidvania, achieved a similar level of critical acclaim.

Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk's "runners-up" for favorite games of 2024 include: Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing. He detailed his appreciation for each title in a follow-up tweet. Interestingly, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a solo-developed pixel art deck-building game.

LocalThunk's continued commitment to Balatro is evident in the three "Friends of Jimbo" updates released since launch. These updates feature crossover content from popular titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. He has also teased a potential collaboration with another 2024 hit game for a future Balatro update.