Summary
- LocalThunk, the developer of Balatro, declares Animal Well his favorite game of 2024.
- He also highlights several other personal favorite games from 2024.
- Balatro, a critical and commercial success, sold over 3.5 million copies.
LocalThunk, the creator of the highly acclaimed indie game Balatro, has chosen Animal Well as his Game of the Year for 2024. Both Balatro and Animal Well were incredibly successful indie releases last year, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Launched in February 2024, the solo-developed, low-budget Balatro exceeded all expectations, selling over 3.5 million copies and earning widespread praise from critics and players alike. 2024 saw the release of many other popular indie titles, including Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50. Among these, Animal Well garnered critical acclaim rivaling that of Balatro. This led LocalThunk to publicly commend Animal Well's creator, Billy Basso of Shared Memory.
In a Twitter post, LocalThunk bestowed the "Golden Thunk" award (in his characteristic humorous style) upon Animal Well, praising its "engrossing experience," "style," and "secrets," calling it Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso responded, indirectly referring to LocalThunk as "(The) Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year." The post generated positive comments from fans, celebrating the camaraderie and mutual respect within the indie development community. Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk also shared several other personal favorites from 2024.
Balatro Developer Picks His Favorite Games of 2024
Following his initial post, LocalThunk listed his "runners up" for Game of the Year 2024: Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing, providing brief comments on each. Notably, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, a pixel art deck-building game created by a solo developer, shares similarities with Balatro.
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 IPs such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. He recently hinted at a potential collaboration with another highly successful 2024 title for a future Balatro crossover.
