LocalThunk, the solo developer behind the wildly successful indie game Balatro (3.5 million copies sold!), has declared Animal Well his 2024 Game of the Year. 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 response, lauded LocalThunk as a "nice and humble dev." This exchange underscores the positive camaraderie within the indie game development community.
Both Balatro and Animal Well were critically acclaimed indie hits of 2024. Balatro's success is even more remarkable given its small budget and solo development.
Beyond Animal Well, LocalThunk also singled out several other 2024 indie favorites: Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Arco, Nova Drift, Ballionaire, and Mouthwashing. He highlighted specific aspects he appreciated in each. Notably, Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers shares similarities with Balatro as a pixel art deck-building game created by a single developer.
LocalThunk's continued commitment to Balatro is evident in the three "Friends of Jimbo" updates released since launch. These updates feature crossover content from popular titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. He's also teased a potential collaboration with another top 2024 game for a future crossover.
![Image: Illustrative image related to Balatro or Animal Well (replace with actual image if available)] ![Image: Illustrative image related to Balatro or Animal Well (replace with actual image if available)] ![Image: Illustrative image related to Balatro or Animal Well (replace with actual image if available)]
