Should You Buy Animal Well?
The Pitch
You are a blob. You hatch from an egg at the bottom of a well. There are animals. Some are friendly. Many are not. There is no dialogue, no tutorial, no map, and no explanation for anything. You explore, you solve puzzles, you collect items, and you slowly realize that the game you thought you were playing is hiding at least three more games underneath it.
Animal Well is a puzzle-platformer metroidvania made almost entirely by one person — Billy Basso — using a custom engine. It was published by Bigmode (Dunkey's studio) and launched in May 2024 to near-universal acclaim.
What Makes It Special
The first layer of Animal Well takes about 6-8 hours. You explore, collect items like a bubble wand, a disc, and a yo-yo, solve environmental puzzles, and reach the credits. Most players think the game is done at this point. They're wrong.
The game has multiple completion layers. After the credits, entirely new puzzle systems open up, items gain hidden functions, and collectibles you walked past for hours suddenly reveal their purpose. The community spent weeks after launch collaborating on puzzles that required external tools, community coordination, and lateral thinking that makes Fez look straightforward.
Visually, Animal Well is stunning despite — or because of — its pixel art. The lighting engine produces real-time shadows, reflections, and particle effects that shouldn't be possible at this resolution. Every room feels atmospheric and intentional. The sound design is equally meticulous: no music in most areas, just ambient sounds that change based on what's near you.
Who Won't Like It
Animal Well gives you nothing. No quest markers, no objective list, no hints. If you need direction in your games, this will frustrate you. The deeper layers require a level of cryptic puzzle-solving that borders on ARG territory — if that's not your thing, you'll bounce off hard after the first credits roll. The platforming can also feel imprecise to players used to tighter controls, though the floaty physics are intentional and factor into puzzle solutions.
Our Verdict
Animal Well is a masterpiece of puzzle design that respects your intelligence enough to hide its best content behind layers of discovery. At $25, the 6-8 hour "main game" is already worth the price. The 40+ hours of hidden content beyond that makes it one of the best value propositions in indie gaming. If you like puzzles, exploration, and the thrill of figuring things out without being told, this is essential.
- Multiple layers of hidden content — the game keeps revealing itself
- Stunning pixel art with advanced lighting and effects
- Puzzle design that respects player intelligence
- Made by one person — an incredible technical achievement
- Strong community puzzle-solving element
- Zero guidance — some players will feel lost immediately
- Deep puzzles border on ARG-level cryptic
- No combat — encounters are purely avoidance-based
- Floaty platforming takes adjustment
If you loved Outer Wilds, Tunic, or Fez, Animal Well is your next obsession. It's for players who get excited when a game hides things from them and trusts them to figure it out. Skip it if you need clear objectives, hand-holding, or traditional combat in your metroidvanias.
