Title: Animal Well
Developer: Shared Memory (Billy Basso)
Publisher: Bigmode
Initial Release Date:  May 9th, 2024
Available On: PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Reviewed On: Steam Deck

Few video games live rent-free in a person’s mind prior to their release, but Animal Well easily is one of the most anticipated indies in recent years for me. Programmer Billy Basso has single-handedly crafted Animal Well over a course of seven years, and now it’s ready for the masses. How does it measure up? Well, let’s dive in!

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. Thank you to Bigmode Games for a review key so that I may share my thoughts on day of release! Congratulations!

SYNOPSIS

Animal Well is a game that is brimming with content–overflowing, actually–and yet, it presents everything in a satisfyingly minimalistic fashion. You are a blob that awakens from a flower with no fanfare, and almost like the OG Legend of Zelda, you must venture forth and explore!

The game is a massive labyrinth filled with puzzles, creatures both docile and hostile, and varying degrees of platforming. You collect items such as matches, a yo-yo, and a disc that will unlock other paths previously unavailable. As you fight to survive in this awe-inspiring landscape toward four mysterious flames, you will slowly unravel several layers and many secrets within Animal Well.

ANALYSIS

Gameplay

The gameplay at its core is simple. You move and jump your way across the map, interacting with items or treasure chests that you come across. But its simplicity allows game design to shine with its meticulous environment wrapped in several layers for the player to peel back.

Animal Well has platforming and puzzle-elements, with a touch of “metroidvania”. I do try to stay away from overusing the term metroidvania, but I only include that to demonstrate certain parallels whenever you obtain an item which allows you to go back to areas you previously could not explore. The map layout also brings me metroidvania vibes, but I’ll stop there.

Items that you collect to further your exploration include, but are not limited to:

• Firecrackers: You can pick them up in the environment to light up a dark room or scare off some ghostly apparitions!
• Yo-yo: Swing that bad boy around to reach switches.
• Bubble wand: Hop on a bubble to cover that extra distance you need to cross that gap.
• Disc: Dogs love these! This is hands down on the best items when you discover other ways to solve puzzles with these…
• Flute: Wake up some sleepy creatures that can help you solve puzzles.
• Slinky: Use gravity to trigger switches!

I could write a ten-page essay on all the different puzzles Basso woven into Animal Well that work perfectly within the confines of each item. The majority of the puzzles are genuinely challenging–the kind of challenges that occasionally make you put the controller down, walk away, sleep on it, then return the next day and a lightbulb goes off. Nothing is more satisfying than a hard-won puzzle.

There are several enemies that lurk around Animal Well. Some are terrifying like the ghost-cat, and most cannot be defeated since there isn’t much combat other than tossing the occasional firecracker at a cube-shaped apparition. This provides additional challenges when navigating the massive world, and yet, because the focus is on exploration and puzzle-solving, and not combat, it makes most encounters enjoyable (or at least interesting).

Art and Sound

Basso’s meticulous attention to detail doesn’t stop with game design. A programmer by nature, Basso told me at PAX East that he grew intimate with sound and graphic design, and it shows.

Animal Well is made of colorful pixel-art, and yet, despite its “retro” look, it was crafted with modern sensibilities. Each vine and blade of grass moves when you brush past them. The reflection in the water is impressively detailed. The flashes of light and smooth movement dragged me into full immersion.

The sound design compliments the graphics. In fact, there was a point where I was traveling and forgot headphones. There’s a massive difference experiencing Animal Well with and without sound. It’s all about ambiance–from the dripping water to the hoots and calls of animals outside your frame of vision. The impressive detail put toward art and sound design provided me with full and satisfying experience in Animal Well because it made me feel like I was traversing a living, breathing space.

FINAL SCORE:

There’s so much to say about Animal Well, and yet it is best that you experience it for yourself. This title is a worthy investment that could surprise you with something new for possibly years to come. Basso has succeeded in crafting several layers into Animal Well, which keeps gameplay fresh and exciting.

The quality has exceeded my expectations. Animal Well is a rare title that is not only well polished but a delight to boot up. You can get lost in the world for hours or place stamps on points-of-interest and visit them whenever you have the time.

Animal Well‘s gorgeous world feels like pixels coming to life on screen. I genuinely hope you give this game a try.

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Featured Image Credit: Billy Basso