By Sagar V. Mankar 
LocalThunk, the creator behind the massively successful deck-building game Balatro, has awarded his personal “Golden Thunk Award” to Animal Well, declaring it his Game of the Year 2024. This recognition, shared through a social media post on January 4, 2025, highlights the strong supportive culture within the indie gaming community.
Balatro, which launched in February 2024, has become an unexpected hit, selling over 3.5 million copies and winning multiple accolades at The Game Awards, including Best Mobile Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Independent Game.
Despite his own game’s remarkable success, LocalThunk took time to spotlight other outstanding indie achievements, particularly praising Animal Well’s solo developer Billy Basso for creating what he describes as “a true masterpiece.”
“Animal Well was an engrossing experience,” LocalThunk shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Dripping with style, secrets, and making me feel like an imposter in this industry as a dev.” This genuine appreciation drew a touching response from Basso, who playfully dubbed LocalThunk the “Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year.”
The recognition didn’t stop with Animal Well. LocalThunk also highlighted several other noteworthy indie titles that impressed him throughout 2024. Among his runners-up was Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, which he defended against misconceptions about it being a Balatro clone, pointing out that it was actually announced before his own game. He praised its strategic depth and synergistic gameplay mechanics.
Other games receiving recognition included Arco, Nova Drift (which LocalThunk particularly enjoyed on Steam Deck), Ballionaire, and the horror game Mouthwashing.
Speaking about Mouthwashing (which sales 300k copies lately and nominated at Steam Awards for its narrative), LocalThunk shared an amusing anecdote about unknowingly starting the horror game at 11 PM, only to find himself completely captivated by its world and meaningful narrative.
Sources: LocalThunk’s social media posts