Game of the Year 2024 – Best Independent Game
If you want games that really experiment with ideas, and take concepts and mix them up, then the indie scene is the space in which that happens. From solo developers to small teams, indies have provided some of the most memorable, interesting, thought-provoking, and fun games over the years. Just look at Dredge, which won this award last year. Now, we’re here to celebrate a new winner and there could really only have been one.
When it comes to taking something old and giving it a grand old shake up, Balatro has done it in style. Selling over 3.5 million copies, developer LocalThunk has taken poker and wrapped a roguelike experience around it that will really keep you coming back for more.
The concept of Balatro is so simple, and it keeps you hooked as you unlock more cards to use, slowly getting to grips with the different types available and learning how they will benefit you. Hours can be lost as you play through runs, building decks, collecting jokers, using arcane and planet cards for boosts, all to chase and play a hand that will satisfyingly score millions of points. You will also be looking at the collection of cards you have unlocked, wanting to complete the entire set, hoping a card you have not yet seen appears. This is as fun as poker can get, and all you’ll really lose is time.
It’s easy to look at a release like UFO 50 and assume it’s a selection of minigames with no long-term depth, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Each title in this massive omnibus ranges from a long-replayable arcade adventure to an hours-long RPG epic. As you dig into each of them, though, a wider story unfurls, and gives you cause to hunt for hidden details and buried easter eggs that add up to turn UFO 50 into an unparalleled game-design triumph and narrative-fueled easter egg hunt.
Some games in UFO 50 grabbed me more than others, but like chapters in a book or parts of a movie, even the weaker pieces of the puzzle contribute to a full experience that left my brain firing
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