Bigmode

Bigmode is an independent video game publishing company established in September 2022 by Jason Gastrow, the American video-game commentator known online as videogamedunkey or Dunkey, and his wife Leah Gastrow. The company was created to publish independent games that its founders consider distinctive and high quality, rather than to operate as a broad, high-volume publishing label. Its stated ambition is to help strong games succeed commercially and remain viable over the long term, while building a catalog of titles with lasting audience appeal. The company emerged from Gastrow's long career as a game critic and online entertainer. Through his YouTube channel, he developed a reputation for highly edited comedic reviews, playthroughs, essays, and consumer-focused commentary. His style combines satire with direct judgments about game design, presentation, business practices, and the relationship between publishers and players. Bigmode therefore entered publishing with an unusual public profile: its co-founder already had a large audience and a recognizable editorial voice, but had not previously operated a conventional game-publishing business. The announcement attracted both interest and reservations from journalists and independent developers, reflecting questions about how an influencer-led publisher would evaluate projects, structure partnerships, and use its audience. Bigmode announced its first published title, Animal Well, in January 2023. Developed by Shared Memory, the game is a densely atmospheric exploration platformer built around environmental discovery, secrets, and layered puzzle design. Bigmode supported its commercial release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May 2024, followed by an Xbox Series X/S version in October 2024. Animal Well received strong critical acclaim and became the company's principal early demonstration of its publishing model: a relatively focused independent title presented to a broad console and PC audience without being positioned as a conventional blockbuster. In February 2025, Bigmode published Star of Providence, a bullet-hell roguelike originally released on Steam in 2017 under the name Monolith. The Bigmode release expanded the title for Nintendo Switch and used the new name to avoid confusion with the video game studio Monolith. The release broadened Bigmode's catalog beyond atmospheric exploration into replayable action-oriented independent games. Bigmode's public identity remains closely associated with its founders and with selective indie publishing. It is not known as a mass-market publisher, a publicly traded company, or a subsidiary of a major entertainment group. Publicly available material identifies its activities primarily through its published games and launch announcements; detailed information about its internal organization, financing, staffing, headquarters, and broader future slate is limited. Its positioning is best understood as a small, founder-led publisher that combines project selection, release support, and access to an established games audience.

Bigmode was founded in September 2022 by Jason Gastrow and Leah Gastrow. Jason Gastrow is widely known by the online name videogamedunkey or Dunkey, through which he built a large audience for humorous video essays, reviews, playthroughs, and commentary on the video-game industry. Leah Gastrow is also an online creator and collaborated with Jason on the new publishing venture. Their decision to enter publishing represented a transition from discussing games publicly to participating directly in their commercialization. At launch, the founders described Bigmode as a company intended to help good games succeed and continue succeeding over time. Leah framed the longer-term objective as creating a catalog of unique, high-quality games that could remain enjoyable for years. This suggested a selective approach centered on project quality and longevity rather than a strategy based on releasing a large number of titles. Because Jason's criticism had often been skeptical of corporate marketing and established games-media practices, the company received considerable attention from the independent-development community. Reactions were mixed, with some observers viewing the founders' audience and enthusiasm as valuable assets and others questioning the implications of an influencer-led publisher. Bigmode's first announced title was Animal Well, revealed in January 2023. The game was developed by Shared Memory and emphasizes exploration, environmental interaction, secrets, and puzzle-solving within a distinctive atmospheric world. Bigmode published the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May 2024. It later reached Xbox Series X/S in October 2024. The release was critically acclaimed and established Bigmode as a functioning publisher rather than merely a media personality's side project. The company's second reported release was Star of Providence in February 2025. The game is a bullet-hell roguelike that had originally appeared on Steam in 2017 under the title Monolith. For its expanded Nintendo Switch release, the project was rebranded Star of Providence to prevent confusion with the unrelated game studio Monolith. This project showed Bigmode working with an existing independent game and supporting an expanded platform release, complementing the debut release's emphasis on a new cross-platform launch. Public information about Bigmode remains concentrated on its founders, publishing announcements, and released games. There is no cited evidence in the supplied material of a parent company, public listing, major acquisition, large internal executive team, or disclosed financial results. The company is therefore most accurately characterized as a private, founder-led indie publisher with a small but visible catalog. Its early history is defined by the combination of an established critic's audience, selective project curation, multi-platform release support, and an expressed preference for games with enduring rather than purely short-term appeal.

1. 2025Star of Providence is released

   Bigmode publishes the rebranded and expanded version of the bullet-hell roguelike formerly known as Monolith.

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2. 2024Animal Well launches

   Animal Well releases for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May, followed by Xbox Series X/S in October.

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3. 2023Animal Well becomes the first announced title

   Bigmode announces Animal Well as its first publishing project.

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4. 2022Bigmode is founded

   Jason Gastrow and Leah Gastrow launch Bigmode as an independent video game publishing company.

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A selective, founder-led independent publisher focused on distinctive, high-quality games with durable audience appeal.

• Animal WellIndie exploration platformer2024

  Animal Well is an atmospheric independent exploration platformer developed by Shared Memory and published by Bigmode. Its design centers on navigating a dense, interconnected environment, discovering abilities and hidden routes, interacting with unusual creatures, and solving environmental puzzles. The title was Bigmode's first announced publishing project and launched for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May 2024, followed by Xbox Series X/S in October 2024. It received critical acclaim and became the publisher's best-known early release.

• Star of ProvidenceBullet-hell roguelike2025

  Star of Providence is a bullet-hell roguelike originally released on Steam in 2017 as Monolith. Bigmode published an expanded Nintendo Switch version in February 2025. The new name was adopted to avoid confusion with the unrelated video game studio Monolith. The game combines fast projectile-dodging combat with procedurally varied runs and replay-oriented roguelike progression.

• 2025Rebrand Monolith as Star of ProvidenceGeneration change

  The earlier game Monolith was being prepared for an expanded Nintendo Switch release, but its name could be confused with the unrelated Monolith game studio.

  What changed. Bigmode released the project under the name Star of Providence.

  Aftermath. The renamed title became Bigmode's second reported published game and extended its catalog into the bullet-hell roguelike category.

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• 2023Select Animal Well as the debut publishing projectProduct launch

  Bigmode needed an initial title through which to establish its publishing identity and demonstrate its approach to distinctive independent games.

  What changed. The company announced Animal Well as its first title and supported its eventual multi-platform launch.

  Aftermath. Animal Well launched in 2024 and received critical acclaim, giving the new publisher a prominent early success.

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• 2022Enter independent game publishingStrategy

  Jason and Leah Gastrow moved from online game commentary and content creation into direct participation in the game business by establishing a publishing company.

  What changed. They launched Bigmode with an emphasis on helping strong independent games succeed and building a durable catalog of distinctive titles.

  Aftermath. The move generated mixed discussion among journalists and indie developers, but led to the announcement and release of Bigmode's first titles.

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• 2025Bigmode publishes Star of Providence

  Bigmode released Star of Providence, a bullet-hell roguelike based on the earlier Steam game Monolith, with an expanded Nintendo Switch edition.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2024Animal Well launches on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows

  Bigmode released Animal Well across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Windows in May. The game received critical acclaim.

  Product launch
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• 2024Animal Well expands to Xbox Series X/S

  The title reached Xbox Series X/S in October, extending the platform availability of Bigmode's debut publishing release.

  Product launch
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• 2023Bigmode announces Animal Well as its first published title

  Bigmode identified Animal Well as its first publishing project, beginning the label's commercial catalog with an independent exploration platformer.

  Product launch
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• 2022Jason and Leah Gastrow launch Bigmode as an indie game publisher

  The couple announced Bigmode as a publishing company intended to help distinctive independent games succeed and develop a long-term catalog. The launch drew mixed reactions from games journalists and indie developers.

  Other
  Source

1. Videogamedunkey
2. Bigmode official website