Game of the Year (2024): Balatro Dev's Favored Title Revealed

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the hugely successful indie game Balatro, has declared Animal Well his Game of the Year for 2024. Balatro, a deck-building game, sold over 3.5 million copies in 2024, garnering critical acclaim and player praise. However, LocalThunk singled out Animal Well, another indie hit developed by Billy Basso of Shared Memory, for its "engrossing experience," "style," and "secrets," calling it Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso responded by playfully acknowledging LocalThunk as a "Nice and Humble Dev." This exchange highlights the positive camaraderie within the indie game development community.

The Twitter announcement, dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award by LocalThunk, sparked positive fan reactions celebrating the mutual respect between the 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 aspects he enjoyed in each. Interestingly, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a pixel art deck-building game created by a solo 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 games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. Further collaborations are hinted at, suggesting continued engagement with the Balatro community.