Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the creator of the wildly successful indie game Balatro, has declared Animal Well his 2024 Game of the Year. This accolade, playfully dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the captivating gameplay and stylish secrets of Animal Well, calling it developer Billy Basso's "true masterpiece." Balatro, a pixel art deck-building game, achieved phenomenal success in 2024, selling over 3.5 million copies and earning critical acclaim. Both games, released to rave reviews, represent significant indie triumphs.

The announcement, made via Twitter, sparked positive reactions, with Basso responding with gratitude, and fans celebrating the camaraderie between indie developers. 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, highlighting their unique qualities. Notably, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers shares similarities with Balatro as a solo-developed, pixel art deck-building game.

Despite Balatro's impressive sales, 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, with more collaborations potentially on the horizon. The developer's commitment to enriching the player experience further solidifies Balatro's position as a standout indie success story of 2024.