Summary
The developer behindBalatro, LocalThunk, has namedAnimal Wellas his favorite game of 2024. Released to a highly positive reception, bothBalatroandAnimal Wellare indie mega hits from last year.
Built on a small budget and by a solo developer,Balatrohas enjoyed surprisingly huge fanfaresince launching in February 2024. The deck-building game won laurels not only from critics but also from players, enabling it to sell over 3.5 million copies in the process. At the same time, it’s no secret that 2024 was also a year filled with other popular indie titles, such asNeva,Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, andUFO 50. And, among these games,Animal Wellnotably even rivaled the level of critical acclaim received byBalatro. In view of that, the developer behind the card game has now given a special compliment to hisAnimal Wellcounterpart.
In a Twitter post, LocalThunk namedAnimal Wellhis “Game of the Year 2024,” while heavily praising the latter’s solo developer at Shared Memory, Billy Basso. In theBalatrocreator’s typical humorous style, he dubbed the shoutout the “Golden Thunk” award and underlined thatAnimal Wellearned this recognition owing to the “engrossing experience” it offers players. Moreover, he said that the Metroidvania title is full of “style” and “secrets,” labeling it Basso’s “true masterpiece.” Acknowledging LocalThunk’s post, Basso indirectly called him “(The) Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year.” In the comments, several fans complimented both games, with one of them expressing their happiness about the evident “positivity” and “solidarity” among indie developers. Apart fromAnimal Well, LocalThunk also put the spotlight on a few other indie titles that were among his personal favorites of 2024.
Balatro Developer Picks His Favorite Games of 2024
In the reply thread under the original post, LocalThunk revealed his other favorites afterAnimal Well, one of thebest-rated games of 2024. He listedDungeons and Degenerate Gamblers,Arco,Nova Drift,Ballionaire, andMouthwashingas the “runners up [sic]” and mentioned what he liked about each of these games. Interestingly,Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblersin particular shares a few similarities withBalatroin that both are pixel art-based deck-building games built by solo developers.
WhileBalatrohas experienced immense success so far, its developer has chosen not to sit on his laurels and has shipped free updates for the game over the past several months, enhancing the player experience. As yet, three different “Friends of Jimbo” updates have brought crossover content from various popular IPs, likeCyberpunk 2077,Among Us, andDave the Diver, to the card game. Most recently, LocalThunk hinted at the possibility of collaboratingwith one of the most popular games of 2024 for anotherBalatrocrossover.
Balatro
WHERE TO PLAY
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder all about creating powerful synergies and winning big.The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you may get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory
