About Big Monk Games
Big Monk Games is an independent software studio founded in 2009 by developer and creator Michael Cozzolino. Built from a lifelong intersection of technical curiosity and creative drive, the studio focuses on AI-powered tools, reflective applications, and high-value entertainment experiences.
Michael’s path into development began in the early modding communities around Starsiege Tribes. What started as a passion project — building custom mods and experimenting with the Torque Game Engine — quickly evolved into a deeper realization: the most fulfilling work lived at the intersection of engineering precision and creative expression.
That realization became the foundation for Big Monk Games.
From Modding Roots to Independent Builder
Unlike many studios that begin with funding or teams, Big Monk Games has remained a fully solo operation from day one. Over the years, Michael has shipped more than 24 apps and software products across mobile and web platforms.
His early success included over 100,000 downloads and approximately $50,000 in revenue from his first generation of iPad apps for cats — a niche but highly engaged market that demonstrated both product intuition and execution discipline.
Today, the focus has expanded far beyond games.
Philosophy: Technology in Service of Self-Understanding
While Big Monk Games still produces entertainment experiences, the studio’s deeper through-line is psychological and reflective.
Michael has a long-standing interest in:
Jungian psychology
Stoic philosophy
individuation and personal growth
systems that help people think more clearly about their inner world
This perspective increasingly shapes the company’s flagship products, particularly Jungian Psyche AI, which represents the clearest expression of the studio’s long-term direction.
The goal is not to replace human insight, but to build tools that help users engage more honestly with themselves.
Built Through Adversity
Like many independent creators, the path has not been linear.
At one point, Michael stepped away from development for nearly three years while navigating a difficult personal period that included the loss of his mother, the end of a relationship, and the loss of three longtime pets within the same year.
That period of reflection ultimately reshaped the mission behind Big Monk Games.
Rather than building purely for external validation, the focus shifted toward creating products that help people support their own growth and clarity — without fostering unhealthy dependence on technology or creators.
Current Focus
Today, Big Monk Games operates at the intersection of:
AI-powered reflective tools
productivity and self-development software
experimental mobile and web applications
niche entertainment experiences
The studio remains intentionally independent and highly technical, with an emphasis on efficiency, automation, and unfiltered creative expression.
Michael continues to build from upstate New York, often spending summers in the Adirondacks, maintaining a deliberately independent path outside traditional tech hubs.
Looking Ahead
Over the next several years, Big Monk Games aims to expand its ecosystem of applications centered on:
Stoic practice
Jungian depth psychology
practical personal growth tools
AI systems that augment — not replace — human reflection
The long-term vision is a portfolio of focused, high-utility products that quietly but effectively help people think better, live more intentionally, and engage more honestly with themselves.
