Critically-Acclaimed Game Published by Dunkey is Currently One of Steam's Top-Selling Games

Highlights

Animal Well, the first release from Dunkey’s Bigmode publishing label, is a Steam top-seller a day after launch.
The game has received praise from players and critics for its quality, secrets, and metroidvania elements.
Popular YouTuber Dunkey has long supported indie gaming, and that focus seems to be paying off with Animal Well’s success.

Animal Well is one of the top sellers on Steam a day after its launch. On September 21, 2022, popular internet personality Jason Gastrow, also known as Dunkey, announced that he was co-founding a video game publishing company named Bigmode with his wife, streamer and YouTuber Leahbee. Many reacted with cautious optimism, awaiting proof of concept, and that optimism grew when Bigmode’s first release, Animal Well, was finally shown off.

When Dunkey first announced his company, he mentioned that throughout his career, he has consistently held up indie gaming as a bastion of quality and hope for the community. On his YouTube channel, Dunkey has strived to emphasize the importance of indie gaming, using releases such as Enter The Gungeon and Neon White as examples of games he believes are worthy of his audience’s attention. As games like Hades 2 reach new player milestones on Steam, and Animal Well releases to positive reviews, Dunkey’s suggestion to keep an eye on the indie gaming scene becomes more pronounced.

Animal Well: How to Unlock Fast Travel

Fast travel in Animal Well is handled a bit differently than in other Metroidvanias. This is a guide on how it works.

Animal Well is currently one of the top sellers on Steam, sitting with an overwhelmingly positive rating based on more than 1,500 user reviews. Animal Well has received an immensely warm reception from critics and gamers who enjoy looking around for secrets and the quirks of the metroidvania genre. The day-one PS Plus Extra release is already one of the highest rated games of the year, currently sitting right below Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on Metacritic’s top games of 2024. Colleagues of Dunkey such as popular YouTuber and critic Arlo have referred to Animal Well as “as good as video games get.” Fans of Dunkey’s YouTube videos have been excited about seeing the game’s quick success.

Animal Well Climbs Up Steam’s Top Sellers

Animal Well appears to have joined the ranks of the best pixel-art games. Reviewers and players alike have noted the game’s stunning visual design, although that doesn’t seem to be the game’s most attractive feature. Players have talked about how Animal Well is simply a well-made game that delivers on Dunkey’s promise to “publish some of the very best games out there.”

The game’s sole developer, Billy Basso of Shared Memory, has worked on the game for approximately seven years, and many players believe that time spent working shows in the final product of Animal Well. As players make their way though, they have emphasized the importance of learning details and not spoiling the experience. Some who are playing and need help along the way are stuck figuring out tough parts like how to beat the Chameleon Boss in Animal Well. Fans have praised the platforming mechanics and atmosphere that Animal Well offers, and some gamers are simply surprised that it is just 34 megabytes for as detailed as it appears to be. Overall, many are enjoying Shared Memory and Bigmode’s first outing.