Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the massively successful indie game Balatro (3.5 million copies sold!), has declared Animal Well his 2024 Game of the Year. This accolade, humorously dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the "engrossing experience, style, and secrets" of Animal Well, praising its creator, Billy Basso, and calling it a "true masterpiece." Basso responded with gratitude, acknowledging LocalThunk's kindness and humility.

Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024. This mutual respect between developers is evident in the positive online reaction to LocalThunk's announcement, with fans celebrating the camaraderie 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 enjoyment of each. Notably, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a pixel art deck-building game created by a single developer.

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 like Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver, with further collaborations hinted at for the future.

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