Animal Well Reviews
Animal Well is one of those games where the less you know, the better. The implausible amount of secrets within Billy Basso’s first official release will keep many engaged for 10+ hours.
A shimmering subterranean world reveals itself bit by bit to you, an amorphous blob, in this enchanting, intricate game
A fascinating two-faced videogame, a bit puzzler and a bit platformer, based on excellent level design, enchanting sound design and lovely pixelart.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you like your games challenging, weird, beautiful, and a little unsettling, ANIMAL WELL should be on your must-play list.
Animal Well takes the Metroidvania model and provides a challenging and satisfying experience while also cutting off all the excess fat. There's basically no story, no upgrades, no flashing fighing mechanics. It proves that you can create a fantastic game with smart puzzle and level design alone, and by giving the player the freedom to figure things out.
The game might initially seem like a combat-free Metroidvania or an extension of indie platformers. However, its deep game design becomes more attractive when played. Where puzzles stimulate curiosity, the curiosity initially becomes the key to solving it. While the game's graphics also act as a hint, and the sound effects blend seamlessly into the gameplay.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Animal Well brought a new breath to the metroidvania genre with its clever puzzles, endless mysteries, great-looking pixel design and intriguing exploration structure. Animal Well will be in the 2020s what FEZ was in the 2010s.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Animal Well has shattered my understanding of game design in the best ways. Solemn, delightful, and haunting, you simply must discover it yourself.
Despite its litany of tricks, though, Animal Well is a relatively simple game at its core, with little in the way of an overarching mystery or narrative to push you along. And while the lack of long-term hooks sometimes makes the game feel a bit slight, the single-minded attention to the in-the-moment pleasure of the gameplay creates a focus that is meditative rather than expansive. Animal Well isn’t some grand adventure or sweeping artistic statement. It’s just a boatload of tiny interconnected puzzles, woven together to form an almost unimaginably intricate web.
A fantastic metroidvania that will be remembered for a very long time due to its originality and the amount of mystery it contains.
Review in Russian | Read full review
It’s easy to describe Animal Well as a puzzle-focused Metroidvania eschewing traditional combat, where nearly every room is a puzzle room, but that falls so far short of describing just what this game is and how expertly it defies genre and classification that it feels like a disservice. Animal Well is a paragon of the art form, a game that simply must be experienced.
Animal Well makes a damn good first impression with its awesomely-crafted pixel art, moody aesthetics, and ambient sound work. And within hours while you're playing and even after finishing the game (6 to 8 hours tops), you won't forget a sight like Animal Well.
It’s impeccably well-designed, with a ton of secrets to unfold, but I also feel it wasn’t that much fun at all times. I’m all for a game not holding my hand throughout its entire runtime, but it didn’t need to feel so cryptic, and so focused on trial-and-error, especially when its checkpoints were way too far away from each other. At times, I loved exploring its many secrets. Other times, I felt so frustrated I wanted to throw my Switch across the room. All in all, it’s still worth checking out if you’re into a deceptively complex metroidvania, but be aware of some truly obnoxious design choices and roadblocks.
Animal Well is an excellent mystery game that should be experienced knowing as little as possible.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The puzzles presented by Animal Well are challenging enough, but at no point do they feel impossible. The level design guides us little by little, and the way in which each challenge is solved is through experimentation. Talking about Animal Well can be a detriment to all those who wish to enter this world. My biggest recommendation is: play Animal Well. This is a magical experience that will stick in the minds of everyone who gives it a try, and I can't wait to see what the next step is for its developer.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Animal Well is an atypical metroidvania that exploits many of the genre's tropes to give birth to something different, almost completely eliminating the entire action component to focus exclusively on the puzzles. The end result is a fascinating, mysterious and at times mesmerizing video game that does not end once the credits are rolling, since reaching the ending represents only a new beginning for Animal Well. As long as you really want to escape the well, of course, but why do it? It's so good down here.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I'm happy that I discovered ANIMAL WELL because its puzzle-filled world was a great deal of fun to traverse and master. Great stuff!
Animal Well is a unique experience that will appeal to lovers of platformers with metroidvania elements as well as those who appreciate creative puzzles and mysterious atmospheres. The fascinating visual style, combined with a very solid game system that is easy to learn and difficult to master, make it a must-have title for those looking for an original, fun and highly replayable journey.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If the idea of being plopped in a foreign place that is ominous with no explanation and residents that may or may not want you there sounds appealing, Animal Well will prove an interesting trip.
Much more than just another indie Metroidvania, as the intricate level design, gorgeous visuals, and clever item usage conspire to make one of the most entertaining puzzle adventures of the generation.