Balatro Announces Favorite Game of '24

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Balatro Announces Favorite Game of '24

Feb 10,25

LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the hugely successful indie game Balatro (3.5 million copies sold!), has declared Animal Well his personal Game of the Year for 2024. This accolade, playfully dubbed the "Golden Thunk" award, highlights the "engrossing experience, style, and secrets" of Animal Well, calling it developer Billy Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso, in turn, acknowledged LocalThunk's praise.

Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024, a year brimming with other notable indie releases such as Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50. The mutual admiration between LocalThunk and Basso underscores the positive 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 in a follow-up tweet. Interestingly, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, like Balatro, is a solo-developed, pixel art deck-building game.

Despite Balatro's phenomenal success, LocalThunk continues to actively support the game, releasing three "Friends of Jimbo" updates featuring crossover content from popular IPs such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. Further collaborations are hinted at for the future.

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