It’s been weeks since I finished Animal Well and I still can’t get it out of my mind. I’m using the word ‘finished’ pretty liberally here. I beat the final ‘boss’ (another word I’m using liberally), saw the credits roll, and even went back to fully explore the world, uncovering every last pixel on the map in that oh-so-satisfying Metroidvania way. And yet, I know there’s still so much more to find.
Animal Well’s secrets run incredibly deep, and every discovery leads to new opportunities. That’s partly why I can’t shake it now. Its unsolved mysteries cling to me, demanding to be resolved. A word of caution: once you enter the Animal Well, you might never leave.
I’ve been infatuated with Animal Well since I first saw it years ago at PAX. Developer Billy Basso’s seven-year solo project is one of the most stunning pixel art games I’ve ever seen. The way he uses reflections and light to give depth and dimension to each environment is masterful, creating a mood that’s as serene and peaceful as it is foreboding and hostile. The juxtaposition in tone is reinforced by its music and sound design: A synth-y, dreamy, arhythmic score layered on top of the ambient symphony of nature. Water dripping, wings flapping, the pitter-patter of squirrels’ and rabbits’ little feet, a disembodied dog demon that chases you endlessly – Animal Well’s vibe is singular. If you get it, you won’t be able to get enough of it.
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When we talk about Metroidvanias, it’s often useful to focus on the ways they depart from the established standards. Animal Well is firmly rooted in the well-worn conventions of genre, but the ways in which it departs make it a fundamentally different experience. Many games have evolved from Super Metroid, but Animal Well is on a branching path. Just as Hades’ narrative-driven approach to Roguelikes was a new starting point for the genre, Animal Well represents something new and much needed in the Metroidvania space.
The thing that most sets Animal Well apart from other Metroidvanias is the lack of combat. There are dangers – the aforementioned ghost dog for one – and the little blob you play as has a health bar, but the game is built around avoiding threats, using your items to distract or disable the creatures that would like to eat you, and most importantly, learning how to work with animals to solve puzzles.
Its power fantasy remains the same: you begin weak, scared and lost in a big confusing world, and eventually you become the master of that world. But while your typical Metroidvania creates that progression by juicing you up with super missiles, power bombs, and energy tanks, you can only become the master of Animal Well by learning how to safely navigate the world and co-exist with the animals who live there.
Upgrades are as core to Animal Well’s lock-and-key approach to exploration the same way they are in any game, but these mundane upgrades have surprisingly novel expressions. To solve the game’s many puzzles and make your way through its elaborately constructed, interconnected world, you’ll rely on everyday objects like frisbees, yo-yos, and slinkys.
These all represent unconventional ways to interact with the world. Rather than unlocking a double jump, you unlock a bubble wand that lets you blow bubbles and jump on them to reach higher places. The frisbee, slinky, and yo-yo can activate switches you can’t normally reach, in three distinct ways. There’s an incredible amount of depth in the way these items work together, and even after more than a dozen hours of exploration, I’m still finding new uses for them.
Speaking of playtime, your mileage will vary pretty dramatically. If you’re pretty experienced with Metroidvanias and puzzle games you should be able to roll credits in five to seven hours. After that you’ll be on the hunt for easter eggs, which are hidden all throughout the world, many in places that are incredibly difficult to find. When I had the map fully explored, every pixel filled in, I was still somehow missing ten eggs. This is the kind of game that will take a community of game detectives to crack, because finding all the eggs isn’t even the end. The more you put into Animal Well, the more you’ll get out of it. It’s unbelievable how many secrets Basso managed to pack in. There’s nothing in Animal Well that’s as simple as it seems.
I am spellbound by Animal Well, and I have every faith that it’s going to be the biggest breakout indie hit since Balatro. There’s so much more I’d like to say, but every extra word risks ruining some crucial part of the experience. There are so many joys in small discoveries that you rarely find anymore in such a well-established genre, and I can’t wait to see what kind of influence Animal Well has on future games.
This is a game best played alongside friends who can go in without any expectations and work through obstacles together. Don’t expect to be able to solve everything on your own, but at the same time, do everything you can not to ask for help. If you can be comfortable with contradictions like that, you’ll find a lot to love in Animal Well.
