Bigmode Games, a publishing company founded and run by popular YouTuber Jason "videogamedunkey" Gastrow, has launched its first game, Animal Well. The artistic Metroidvania is already receiving fantastic reviews from critics and players, with many praising its art style and unique take on retro graphics.

Videogamedunkey broke the news of the game’s launch on X (formerly Twitter) today, May 9th. He didn’t have much to say about the launch, other than to promise players that the game is really good. And he seems to be right, as Animal Well is already reporting fantastic reviews. While not many players have picked up the game yet, it already has around 200 reviews on Steam, 97 percent of which are positive. On Metacritic, the game has an average score of 91 out of 18 critic reviews and has even earned a Metacritic Must Play label, adding to the growing number of fantastic indie hits set to challenge the big boys of gaming in 2024.

Animal Well is an indie venture from a single developer, Billy Basso, who has been actively working on the game for over seven years. The game is marketed as a unique take on the metroidvania genre, tasking players with "exploring a dense, interconnected labyrinth", solving puzzles, and "surviving what lurks in the dark". Eurogamer called it "astonishingly rich" and gave it a 10. Destructoid gave it an identical score, praising the title for its content, stating that there are "more things to do and secrets to discover" than similar games.

The publisher, Bigmode Games, was founded in 2022 by YouTuber videogamedunkey and aims to elevate indie titles and bring them to a wider audience. The company’s mission and selection of games are similar to Devolver Digital’s. Bigmode Games will also release Star of Providence, a retro-inspired bullet hell roguelike.