Animal Well

IGN

Rebekah Valentine·May 9, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

A beautiful, multi-layered puzzle box that’s an utter delight to slowly crack open.

GameSpot

Richard Wakeling·May 9, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

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

Polygon

Russ Frushtick·May 9, 2024

Critic—

Agreement—

Seven years in the making, this one-person passion project is unlike any other… if you have the willpower to see it through

Eurogamer

Christian Donlan·May 9, 2024

Critic100/100

Agreement—

Our review of Animal Well, a mysterious and transporting Metroidvania.

Kotaku

Ethan Gach·May 9, 2024

Critic—

Agreement—

A sublime trip down a rabbit hole of devilish puzzle design

PC Gamer

Shaun Prescott·May 9, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

A sprawling puzzle metroidvania with a bottomless well of mystery.

Game Informer

Charlie Wacholz·May 9, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Teeming with life, secrets, and charm that surprise and delight, Animal Well held my full, undivided attention.

GamesRadar+

Jon Bailes·May 9, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Animal Well is stubbornly traditional in keeping you in the dark as you embark on your adventure, but that's firmly to its credit as you unravel the mysteries sprinkled around its map. Puzzles involving animals, toys and mechanical devices demand creative thinking, while the…

Push Square

Stephen Tailby·May 9, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Animal Well is an extremely rewarding game — if you're willing to lose yourself in it. The sort of mysteries it's hiding go well beyond finding collectibles, giving you a rich and detailed world to unpack. If you have the patience and the curiosity, it's absolutely worth plumbing its depths.

Nintendo Life

Nile Bowie·May 9, 2024

Critic100/100

Agreement—

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.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Edwin Evans-Thirlwell·May 9, 2024

Critic—

Agreement—

A gorgeous and immensely absorbing metroidvania platformer that is both easy to get into and dense with secrets.