Balatro Dev Reveals Personal Favorite Game of 2024

LocalThunk, the creator of the wildly successful indie game Balatro, has declared Animal Well his personal Game of the Year for 2024. This accolade, playfully dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the exceptional "engrossing experience," "style," and "secrets" found within Billy Basso's Metroidvania masterpiece. Balatro, a deck-building game that sold over 3.5 million copies in 2024, achieved widespread critical acclaim, mirroring the success of Animal Well. This mutual respect between the two solo developers is evident in Basso's appreciative response to LocalThunk's praise.

The online exchange sparked positive reactions from 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 reasons for enjoying each. The shared pixel art style and solo development of Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers draws notable parallels with Balatro.

Despite Balatro's phenomenal success, LocalThunk continues to support his creation 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. Further collaborations are hinted at, suggesting continued growth for this already highly popular deck-building game.

In short:

• Animal Well is LocalThunk's (Balatro developer) 2024 Game of the Year.
• Balatro's massive success (3.5 million copies sold) is noted.
• LocalThunk highlights other favorite indie games of 2024.
• Continued support for Balatro via free updates and future collaborations is confirmed.