Animal Well is a hauntingly beautiful game in the metroidvania family. But unlike most metroidvanias, there’s no combat here. Instead, the objective is to find and use tools that let you manipulate the (gorgeous) environment to navigate the side scroller. Fans of complex puzzles will find the experience of finding and using the tools especially rewarding.

You are a blob on a mission. After you hatch from a flower, you — an indistinct life form — travel through the intricate labyrinth and encounter all kinds of creatures, some helpful, some less so, as you unravel the mysteries around you. Animal Well takes inspiration from survival horror games and Nintendo classics such as Metroid (obviously) and the original Zelda.

This is strictly an exploratory game. If you’re looking for a dense narrative, Animal Well isn’t for you. This puzzler may test your problem solving skills, but the reward is worth the time you spend figuring it out. The potential replay value will only reveal itself at the end, when you’ll want to go back and replay the game with the knowledge you accumulated during your first playthrough. Much like Hades, beating the game doesn’t mean you beat the game.

💯 Rating: 10/10 on Steam, 9/10 on IGN, and a 96% audience rating.

⌛ Hours of gameplay: 15-20 hours.

🔁 Replay value: 6/10.

👾 Platforms: Steam for PC, and Nintendo Switch, soon to be released on PlayStation.

💵 Price: USD 11.49 on Steam, USD 24.99 on Switch.

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