Talk
to
someone
who
is
fully
immersed
in
the
indie
game
Animal
Well,
and
you’re
bound
to
hear
some
strange
things.
They
might
get
excited
about
a
new
way
to
use
a
Frisbee
or
be
frustrated
about
playing
music
for
a
caged
cat.
They’ll
probably
chat
your
ear
off
about
the
dozens
of
different-colored
eggs
they’ve
collected,
and
all
of
the
ones
that
seem
just
out
of
reach.
Mostly,
though,
what
they’re
saying
will
sound
like
gibberish.
That’s
because
the
world
of
Animal
Well
is
so
odd
and
cryptic
it
almost
requires
its
own
language
to
discuss
—
but
once
you
speak
it,
it’s
hard
to
think
about
anything
else.
Animal
Well
is
the
first
release
from
solo
developer
Billy
Basso,
and
it’s
probably
best
described
as
a
Metroidvania.
You
play
as
a
little
round…
thing
that’s
dropped
in
a
vast
underground
labyrinth
full
of
animals.
Most
of
it
is
inaccessible
at
first.
But
as
you
unlock
new
items
and
skills,
you’re
able
to
slowly
expand
where
you
can
go
and
what
you
can
do.
It
also
has
elements
of
platforming
games,
with
lots
of
perilous
gaps
to
jump
across
and,
at
times,
horror.
It
might
not
be
obvious
from
the
pixel
art
graphics,
but
it’s
pretty
terrifying
when
you’re
being
chased
by
a
floating
ghost
dog
or
rampaging
kangaroo.
Your
main
goal,
at
least
initially,
seems
to
be
to
collect
a
whole
bunch
of
eggs
for
a
giant
peacock.
But
that’s
never
explained
outright.
In
fact,
almost
nothing
in
Animal
Well
is
explained.
You’re
simply
dropped
into
this
world
and
left
to
figure
things
out.
And
that
process
requires
a
lot
of
experimentation.
Most
of
its
elements
don’t
lend
themselves
to
obvious
interpretation.
Your
list
of
items,
for
example,
will
include
things
like
a
Slinky
and
a
yo-yo,
which
you
have
to
use
in
inventive
ways
to
flip
switches,
distract
creatures,
and
progress
through
the
game.
A
lot
of
the
time,
I
figured
things
out
by
accident.
At
one
point,
I
got
frustrated
and
started
tossing
my
yo-yo
around
wildly,
only
to
discover
that
it
had
a
very
notable
effect
on
a
nearby
rat
that
helped
me
progress.
When
you
do
figure
these
things
out,
it’s
immensely
satisfying
primarily
because
it
feels
like
you’re
doing
it
on
your
own.
And
there
are
a
lot
of
moments
like
that
because
Animal
Well
is
a
dense
and
layered
game.
Every
detail
—
the
sounds,
the
symbols,
the
animals
frolicking
in
the
background
—
seems
to
mean
something.
Each
discovery,
whether
it’s
a
location,
item,
or
skill,
opens
up
some
kind
of
possibility.
Oftentimes,
these
are
small
wins,
pushing
the
edges
of
the
map
a
little
further,
but
sometimes,
they’re
revelatory,
like
finding
a
new
use
for
an
item
you’ve
already
had
for
hours.
No
matter
the
scale,
each
victory
feels
earned.
I
can’t
tell
you
how
happy
I
was
when
I
finally
got
a
simple
pencil.
Still,
Animal
Well
can
get
frustrating.
There
are
some
very
difficult
platforming
and
chase
sequences
that
require
quick
reflexes
and
near-perfect
timing,
and
there’s
at
least
one
boss
that
had
me
put
down
my
controller
for
the
night.
(Since
there’s
no
real
combat
in
Animal
Well,
the
bosses
similarly
require
tight
platforming
skills.)
It’s
also
just
really
easy
to
get
stuck.
This
is
partially
by
design,
but
that
doesn’t
make
it
any
less
tedious
when
you’re
combing
over
the
same
few
areas
in
search
of
that
one
little
thing
you’ve
been
missing.
Usually,
that’s
enough
to
turn
me
off
of
a
game,
but
Animal
Well’s
secrets
are
so
strange,
satisfying,
and
plentiful
that
I
can’t
seem
to
help
but
push
forward.
It
doesn’t
hurt
that,
despite
its
seemingly
simple
style,
the
game
manages
to
evoke
a
lot
of
atmosphere.
It’s
a
world
that
feels
alive:
grass
and
vines
blow
with
the
breeze,
and
bioluminescent
worms
provide
just
a
hint
of
light
in
otherwise
dark,
oppressive
caverns.
It
can
be
gloomy
or
comforting
or
unsettling
depending
on
which
room
you’re
in.
I
played
most
of
the
game
with
headphones
on,
and
I
couldn’t
help
but
jump
when
the
aforementioned
kangaroo
appeared
with
a
loud
thrum.
It’s
unclear
to
me
just
how
big
Animal
Well
really
is;
it
feels
like
there
are
a
lot
more
layers
for
me
to
peel
back
still,
and
I’m
not
sure
I’ll
ever
see
all
of
it.
That’s
part
of
what
has
kept
me
pushing
through
those
frustrating
moments,
and
also
what
has
me
excited
for
its
release.
On
my
own,
I
can
only
get
so
far,
but
with
a
group
of
like-minded
players,
I
hope
we’ll
be
able
to
collectively
unlock
much
more
of
the
game.
We
just
have
to
speak
the
same
language
first.
Animal
Well
launches
May
9th
on
the
PS5,
Steam,
and
Nintendo
Switch.
Original author: Andrew Webster
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