Animal Well review: must-play Metroidvania is full of rewarding secrets

Animal Well MSRP $25.00 Score Details Pros

Strong puzzle platforming
Creative, multi-use items
Striking visual style
Rich with deep secrets

Cons

Demands community engagement
Backtracking is a pain

When I begin my adventure in Animal Well, I’m not born as a complex mammal. I’m just a blob. I have no special powers that can help me navigate dangerous 2D corridors filled with deadly traps and aggressive animals. I only have the most basic of video game tools to lean on: moving and jumping. If I want to master the world around me, I’ll need to adapt.

Solo developer Billy Basso uses that setup to get to the heart of the Metroidvania subgenre in Animal Well, a terrific 2D platformer packed with mysteries. A truly great Metroidvania turns growth into a powerful hook. Each time players make a new discovery, their understanding of the world around them expands. An unfamiliar maze of rooms and hallways can feel like home by the end of an adventure as players become fluent in the game’s design. Animal Well takes that idea to a logical conclusion, connecting that gameplay idea to the animal kingdom. How does even the simplest of creatures learn how to navigate a complicated world governed by unknowable natural law?

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That question transforms Animal Well from an abstract platformer with a striking art style to a deceptively insightful visualization of animal adaptation. Consistently surprising gameplay twists that buck conventions at every turn create an engrossing world that will make players feel like they’re learning and mastering an entirely new language. The only piece that’s yet to be seen is how that experience will play out long term, as some deep mysteries built for a community to solve together might leave solo players lost outside the hive.