New publisher Bigmode, owned by the YouTuber videogamedunkey, knocked it out of the park with the company's first title, Animal Well. This indie developed by Billy Basso exceeded expectations from press, TechRaptor included. With such an outstanding reception, many are excited to see what comes next for Bigmode, and that game is Star of Providence.
But here's the thing: Star of Providence is already out. It's been out since 2017, and you can buy it on Steam right now. While not unheard of for games to get a new publisher after release, Bigmode's decision to publish this title seemed like a confusing one.
After playing a demo for Star of Providence at PAX West 2024, I wanted to get to the bottom of things.
What's Bigmode's Role in Star of Providence?
As it turns out, Star of Providence is insanely fun. How did I miss Star of Providence after so long? Well, the thing to keep in mind is that Star of Providence once went by the title Monolith, which might be one source of confusion. Leah Gastrow of Bigmode was able to provide more context to the publishing decision.
"Star of Providence is a game that, despite its initial Steam release in 2017 and having a dedicated and loving fanbase, we would consider a largely hidden gem," said Gastrow. "Our goals partnering with Team D-13 are broadly - supporting a Switch console launch, localizing to many new languages, funding as the team finishes work on a major content update they have had in the works for a couple of years, and bringing more eyes to the project. We really hope that we’ll be able to translate what’s so special and fun about the game, giving it its day in the sun!"
Bigmode's decision to publisher Star of Providence is a good lesson on the role of publishers in the industry; as Gastrow mentioned, Bigmode brings support in porting the game as well as bringing in a large update for both PC and the Switch version. Having the publisher attached should also create a new fervor for the title.
"It’s come a long way since then and been polished into a real masterwork," said Gastrow. "Some standouts you’ll notice are the buttery smooth controls paired with heart-pounding action and epic, vast soundtrack from Garoslaw. Members of the dev team have also worked with Toby Fox contributing to Deltarune, and all were testers of the game Void Stranger, a sokoban-style puzzle game released in 2023. Basically, they’re the real deal making a real-deal game that we want to do our best to shine a spotlight on and help achieve the success it deserves."
But is it Fun? Yes, Star of Providence is Very Fun
Based on my time with the demo from PAX West, Star of Providence is most definitely a special game. I went so far as to buy it on PC to do some brief research on this very article, and found myself addicted to its core gameplay loop. I see what Bigmode sees -- Star of Providence is another hit for the publisher.
To be concise, Star of Providence is a retro-inspired dungeon crawler with SHMUP and roguelite elements. The synthesis between these genres creates a harmonious gameplay loop, one that seems perfect for the portable nature of the Switch.
You pilot this little starship, exploring dungeons room-by-room a la the original The Legend of Zelda. With randomized elements, obstacles and enemy placement vary as you progress and get progressively harder as you navigate different floors of the dungeon. No, it's not an unheard of concept, but the way it's executed is what makes Star of Providence so addicting.
Rooms take seconds to clear, so combat is extremely fast. You're constantly awarded with new treasures in the form of weapons, health, and ammo and even stronger upgrades as you progress, making it addicting.
Dying isn't the end since the metaprogression of Star of Providence assures players will have new weapons and other upgrades to play with in subsequent runs. Perhaps the strongest element of Star of Providence are its weapons, with various keywords that change the characteristics of your projectiles.
RNG can grant you this godkilling weapon that homes in on enemies and blasts them constantly with a stream of ridiculous damage, or a not-so-great weapon that's slow and takes time to charge. When you get that big weapon and plow through the rest of your run, that's where Star of Providence shines.
If there was any worry that Bigmode would have a sophomore slump with its next game, well, Star of Providence assuages any fears. Though it's already out, the big content update and launch on the Switch should be the best time to dive into what is possibly your next gaming addiction -- I already know it has me hooked.
Austin cut his teeth writing various fan-fiction stories on the RuneScape forums when he was in elementary school. Later on, he developed a deep love for… More about Austin
