2024 has been the year of Balatro, and solo developer LocalThunk says the feature they're most proud of is the iconic and satisfying flame effect that appears when you get a hand that beats an ante's score requirement.
I remember the first time I got a decent hand and saw the flames, I was so confused. I didn't know if I'd screwed up and my score was going to burn away into nothing or what. But then I noticed my hand was worth more than the total ante score and the pieces started clicking into place. This was a good thing, a great thing.
