If you can put Balatro down for half a second, the lead dev behind it has recommended some other stunning indies with a very low-key awards ceremony of their own

Their top spot is a “true masterpiece.”

Various animals with creepy beady eyes in key art for Animal Well. - 1

Image credit:Billy Basso

Balatro is obviously one of the best games from 2024, and now the dev behind it has shared what they think are the top titles from last year.

Taking the number one spot with LocalThunk’s own “very prestigious Golden Thunk award for Game of the Year 2024” is Animal Well , a metroidvania that definitely stands out on its own merit, though admittedly one you might know best as being the first game that that horse V-tuber or whatever he is Videogamedunkey published under his new company Bigmode. “Animal Well was an engrossing experience,” wrote LocalThunk. “Dripping with style, secrets, and making me feel like an imposter in this industry as a dev, Billy Basso created a true masterpiece.”

My very prestigious Golden Thunk award for Game of the Year 2024 goes to Animal Well! 🏆 Animal Well was an engrossing experience. Dripping with style, secrets, and making me feel like an imposter in this industry as a dev, Billy Basso created a true masterpiece pic.twitter.com/a9g13HN69s — localthunk (@LocalThunk) January 3, 2025

The love didn’t stop there though, as there were some runner-ups too, like Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, which LocalThunk said: “People mistakenly wrote this off as a Balatro clone but this was announced before my game ever was. A beautifully synergistic and strategic deckbuilder I have sunk dozens of hours into.”

Arco, Nova Drift, and Ballionaire got some nods too, alongside Mouthwashing , one of my favourite games from 2024 , with LocalThunk saying, “I didn’t even know this was a horror game when I started playing it at 11pm one fateful night. I was hooked instantly, and both the world it created and the poignant message woven into the game stick with me vividly months later.