PAX East is back and we got a chance to go hands on again with the upcoming indie darling Animal Well. Animal Well is a dark marshland Metroid-like game made by one developer, Billy Basso. Along with its lone dev, Animal Well is the first game to be published by Big Mode the new indie publisher fronted by Youtuber VideoGameDunkey.

I call Animal Well a Metroid-like game and not a Metroidvania because at its core it is Samus Returns. It is very much like a classic Metroid NES or SNES game. From the start, you can turn left or right. As you progress you are given more abilities to help you get through each roadblock. During my playthrough, I was presented with an impossible scenario and as I explored around I found firecrackers which enabled me to set fire to certain objects and enemies. This allowed me to progress through where I needed to go and brought me to the end of the short demo.

What Makes Animal Well Different?

Speaking with the developer, Animal Well promises more than just a firecracker. There will be a number of items and weapons to carry you through the game. Plus, there will be a number of secrets and hidden areas to find. A quick playthrough of the game should take an average player six to eight hours. While a full playthrough exploring the entire game could take 10 or so hours. With that, it sounds like a significant percentage of the game will be discoverable. 

The visuals and the audio design carry Animal Well. The game uses a simple pixel art yet, layers on lighting textures to give the feeling of a dark marshy area. I can feel the mushrooms growing inside of Animal Well. The music is complementary to the art and is solid. The dark lo-fi chiptunes are a welcoming and relaxing change from the rush of fast paced Metroidvanias. 

You will not have to wait long to play Animal Well, it launches on May 9th. When it hits digital storefronts in May, it will release on PC, PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The US MSRP is $24.99. The developer is handling ports by himself, so other platforms may come down the road. Along with digital storefronts Basso would not say, Animal Well is not coming to physical media. I believe Animal Well will be a game we talk about all year leading up to indie awards at the end of this year.

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