The first game to be published by Bigmode Games was announced by company co-founder Dunkey. Bigmode Games was founded by the YouTuber Dunkey and his wife Leah as a way to support and spotlight indie game developers.Videogamedunkey, also known as Jason Yevgeniy Gastrow, is one of the most well-known gaming YouTubers around today. Something that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries is his commitment to covering a good variety of games ranging from major AAA releases to indies like the acclaimed 2015 indie hit Undertale. Ever since he announced the founding of his and Leah's indie game publishing company Bigmode Games in September 2022, fans and critics alike have been looking forward to what the company would publish first.Viewers of Dunkey's channel got the chance to see what Bigmode Games has been working on at the start of the video "Dunkey's Best of 2022." The video opened with the announcement that Bigmode would be publishing the game Animal Well from the studio Shared Memory founded by developer Billy Basso who had previously worked at NetherRealm Studios and Level Ex Inc. The game was first announced last year and was even spotlighted at the 2022 Summer Game Fest. The Twitter account for Bigmode Games would also confirm that the game is coming to PC and PS5.
Described on Bigmode Game's website as "a pixelated wonder rendered in intricate audio and visual detail," Animal Well is a game that Basso started making on his own in his spare time over five years ago. Games industry veteran Dan Adelman would join forces with Basso in 2021 to help assist with business and marketing. Adelman had previously been part of the launch of Xbox Live Arcade and also helped put Cave Story, Shovel Knight, and other indie games on Nintendo consoles.
Indie games have experienced tremendous success in recent years thanks in part to many of them receiving exposure on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Some indies have even gained traction years after release and become sleeper hits, a great example of which being the game Among Us which would go on to be one of the most successful indie games of all time and one of the best social games around today. Dunkey has not shied away from featuring indies on his channel, and through Bigmode, he now has a better avenue to shine a spotlight on indie games that may have otherwise gone under the radar for many.
Animal Well is currently in development.
Source: Bigmode Games