Animal Well

Release Date: May 9, 2024

Arcade, platformers, puzzle elements, 2D, indie games, side-scroll, Surrealism, PS Plus Premium, PS Plus Extra, singleplayer

8.9

OpenCritic

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Animal Well is a puzzle game with platform game elements. We explore 2D maps, avoid dangers, collect objects and most of all solve puzzles.

Originals

December 23, 2024

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Videos and Screens

[1:04] Animal Well Xbox Partner Preview Trailer

[0:52] Animal Well Animal Well - Accolades Trailer

8.9

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 99% of Critics. There are 54 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Nintendo Life: 10 / 10 by Nile Bowie

Developer Shared Memory's stated goal is "to craft complete experiences that will be playable long after the world loses its internet connection," and screen after screen, Animal Well excels in delighting your eyes and giving your brain something to stew on. It's a riposte against a culture of post-launch updates in favour of a meticulously crafted, singular vision with potentially years' worth of discoveries baked in. By all indications, Animal Well delivers on that long-term promise and does so with a one-of-a-kind elegance.

Full Review

GameSpot: 9 / 10 by Richard Wakeling

Animal Well delights with its non-traditional approach to Metroidvanias, combining unique items with a reactive and surreal world that's full of surprises.

Full Review

GamesRadar+: 4.5 / 5 by Jon Bailes

Without giving anything away, it suffices to say that this rabbit hole goes a long way down, and if Animal Well is a Metroidvania, it's so much more besides.

Full Review

Animal Well is a retro-style 2D puzzle game with platform game elements. It is a debut project of Shared Memory studio.

Game mechanics

In Animal Well our task is to overcome challenges on 2D maps. The game world is huge and its exploration takes place in a non-linear way, allowing us to freely choose the order of tasks.

Our hero is defenseless, so to survive we have to rely on dexterity while avoiding threats and, above all, on cunning. The most important element of the gameplay here are puzzles. During the exploration we find a variety of items that interact with objects in the environment and creatures inhabiting the game universe.

Each item we get can be used in many different ways, and most puzzles have several alternative solutions.

The game world is initially plunged in darkness. Along with the progress, the player fills the map with candles, revealing successive segments of the land. An additional attraction is a rich set of optional secrets waiting to be discovered.