The Indie Informer

It’s hard for me to talk about Animal Well. Actually, that’s not true. It’s easy for me to gush about its numerous surprising moments, the weird critters I’ve encountered, or the experiencing a big brain moment when solving a stumper of a puzzle. But more than most other games, the less you know going into Animal Well, the better, and as someone who went in knowing almost nothing, the deeper I went into what feels like an impossible solo effort from developer Billy Basso’s solo, the more I found reasons to never climb out.

Animal Well is a strange, exciting, and beautiful adventure that trusts you to find your own way through. You’re never explicitly told who or what you are, or what you’re doing in the titular well. You’ll get the occasional prompt to pick up an item or turn a crank, but it’s up to you to figure out how to traverse the depths of the well. Your unidentifiable little orb’s bag of tricks is deceptively simple, limited to jumping and utilizing everyday objects like a yo-yo, firecrackers, or a throwable disc to interact with the world and its animal denizens. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. I often found myself struggling to concoct increasingly clever ways to use these tools to further explore the cavernous environments. Each new trick I learn makes me feel like a genius and inspires me to rush across the map to try out my newfound skills in a room I had previously been banging my head against.

Much of the game’s personality comes through it the animal denizens populating the well. Much like animals in real life, these scaled, furry, and otherwise creatures must be respected at all times but provide a fun dynamic when determining whether you’re safe in their presence. You never know whether the giant stork, giddy dog, or sleepy chinchillas are friends, foes, or entirely indifferent to your existence. Some may assist you in solving puzzles, while others will have you calculating the best escape route to avoid their sharp fangs tearing into your flesh. Like many elements of Animal Well, your understanding of these critters’ purpose will change as you progress and your perception of the world shifts. 

While I don’t want to go into exact details, Animal Well becomes an extraordinary experience late in the game. After rolling credits on the main game, I was a little underwhelmed by the experience. Sure, it had some hidden collectibles I’d obtained throughout the playthrough, and I ran into some objects I couldn’t quite describe their reason for being, but it wasn’t anything mindblowing or earth-shattering at the time. But when I started poking around the edges of the map I hadn’t or couldn’t explore before, the journey began in earnest.

Much like games that are more than meets the eye, like FEZ or The Witness, after spending additional hours confined to Animal Well, it’s like I began to see The Matrix. However, it only prompts more questions which requires seeing another Matrix altogether. More doors opened within my mind as previously disparate pieces fell together, unlocking additional revelations and bringing obtuse possibilities to the surface. Exploring the deepest mysteries of Animal Well is like unraveling the fabric of a tapestry and rearranging it into something entirely new. Your goals will shift and become ever more abstract, allowing you to chase down secrets and connections you couldn’t predict existed from the start and will have you scrutinizing every little detail. For those who like to do absolutely everything in a game, Animal Well is here to test your mettle to an absurd level and you’ll have a blast hunting down every little tidbit.

What initially drew me into Animal Well wasn’t the siren’s call of puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover. Rather, it was the way the game beautifully emulates staring into the phosphorus glow of a CRT monitor. Its retro art spans from simple 8-bit designs to extremely detailed objects and dynamic elements like lighting and smoke effects that all tie together wonderfully thanks to a screen filter that enhances the retro visual design and nails what I remember what it’s like to play games on an old, bulky tv like I did decades ago.

Animal Well surprised me around every turn. What I expected to be yet another Metroidvania quickly became one of the most memorable gaming experiences I’ve had in recent years. It’s a game that you’ll get out of it as much as you put in. If you want to see credits and be done, you’ll have a great time. However, if you want to see how deep the well truly goes, you’ll be embarking on a journey you may not have been prepared for. I assure you, the twists and turns and conundrums you will come across are well worth your time.