Balatro is the rare indie game that made it mainstream, having sold millions of copies, gotten nominations at pretty much every major game of the year ceremony, and drawn a dedicated meme-loving fanbase. But solo-developer Localthunk hasn't stopped championing other indies all year, and he's now even given a shoutout to his favorites.
On social media, Localthunk announced his "very prestigious Golden Thunk award for Game of the Year 2024" that'll hopefully become an annual tradition, and this year it went to a metroidvainia that packs secrets upon secrets: Animal Well. "Animal Well was an engrossing experience," he tweeted. "Dripping with style, secrets, and making me feel like an imposter in this industry as a dev, Billy Basso created a true masterpiece." Animal Well creator Billy Basso then shared his own "Nicest Most Humble Dev of the Year award" right back.
Runners up include Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, a game which "people mistakenly wrote this off as a Balatro clone but this was announced before my game ever was," Localthunk wrote. "A beautifully synergistic and strategic deckbuilder I have sunk dozens of hours into."
The famed developer has gushed about RPG Arco in the past, so it's no surprise to see it show up in his year-end list as well. "Play Arco already, it's incredible."
The developer behind Balatro clearly has an affinity for roguelikes, though, and he gave a shoutout to two special ones in his list. Space shooting roguelike Nova Drift was highlight for Localthunk as it's "a perfect game for the Steam Deck," while Ballionaire was another game where "the vibes are great, the synergies are poppin, it simply deletes time; it's a certified banger."
And, finally, Localthunk was just as enamoured with the horror indie that's sunk its claws into all of us, Mouthwashing. "I didn't even know this was a horror game when I started playing it at 11pm one fateful night," he said. "I was hooked instantly, and both the world it created and the poignant message woven into the game stick with me vividly months later."
In the meantime, check out some of the best roguelike games you can play right now.
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