Balatro Dev's Top Game Pick for 2024 Revealed

Summary

• Balatro's developer, LocalThunk, praises Animal Well as his favorite game of 2024.
• LocalThunk also highlights other favorite games of the year.
• Balatro has sold 3.5 million copies and received widespread acclaim.

The developer of Balatro, known as LocalThunk, has hailed Animal Well as his top game of 2024. Both Balatro and Animal Well, released last year, have been celebrated as indie successes, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Balatro, a deck-building game crafted by a solo developer on a modest budget, has soared in popularity since its launch in February 2024. It has garnered praise from both critics and players, resulting in sales of over 3.5 million copies. 2024 has been a banner year for indie games, with titles like Neva, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and UFO 50 also making waves. Amidst these, Animal Well has matched Balatro's critical success, prompting LocalThunk to publicly commend its creator, Billy Basso of Shared Memory.

In a tweet, LocalThunk declared Animal Well his "Game of the Year 2024," playfully awarding it the "Golden Thunk" for its captivating experience, style, and hidden secrets. He dubbed it Basso's "true masterpiece." Basso, in turn, praised LocalThunk as the "(The) Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year." The exchange drew positive comments from fans, who appreciated the camaraderie among indie developers. LocalThunk also shared other indie favorites from 2024, including Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing, noting their unique qualities.

Balatro Developer Picks His Favorite Games of 2024

In the thread following his original post, LocalThunk listed his other top picks after Animal Well. He praised Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing, particularly noting the similarities between Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers and Balatro, both being pixel art-based deck-building games developed by solo creators.

Despite Balatro's success, LocalThunk continues to enhance the game with free updates. Over recent months, three "Friends of Jimbo" updates have introduced crossover content from popular IPs like Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. LocalThunk has also hinted at a potential collaboration with another top game of 2024 for a future Balatro crossover.