ANIMAL WELL
Explore an interconnected labyrinth, collect items with multiple uses and work out how creatures, objects and surroundings interact while lighting candles and mapping a route through the dark.
- AI score · out of 10
- 9.3 / 10
About this game
ANIMAL WELL centres on exploring a labyrinth and learning how to use what you find. Collect items, test their different uses and observe how they interact with creatures and the environment. The structure is nonlinear, so you choose routes and the order in which you pursue items rather than following one prescribed sequence. Lighting candles provides safety as you gradually fill out the map. Surviving also means judging which creatures and situations are dangerous, then using your surroundings and tools to get through them. Pixel art depicts this world of connected spaces, where observing an interaction and trying another use for an item are recurring parts of exploration.
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Nintendo Switch
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
For curious explorers who enjoy discovering what a tool does and deciding where to try it next.
Multi-use items and systemic interactions can make observation as important as finding another route. The nonlinear layout is likely to suit players who enjoy forming their own questions and experiments.
Strengths
- Multiple uses for each item can make revisiting an idea more interesting than treating a tool as a single-purpose key.
- Environmental interactions give careful observation a practical role in solving problems.
Weaknesses
- Open routing and experimentation may leave players who want explicit direction unsure what to try next.
Who it is for: Players who enjoy environmental puzzles, nonlinear exploration and learning through observation.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Choosing routes while gradually mapping the labyrinth may suit an exploratory rhythm driven by personal curiosity. | Reviewed | 9.1 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension The combination of multi-use tools and environmental interactions should appeal to players who enjoy testing a hypothesis rather than simply locating an answer. | Reviewed | 9.3 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Pixel-art creatures that must be assessed for danger may encourage attentive looking for players who enjoy uncertainty in their surroundings. | Reviewed | 9.5 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Support for TV, tabletop and handheld modes provides viewing options for players who change where they play. | Reviewed | 9.4 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Shared Memory
- Publisher
- Bigmode
- Release date
- May 9, 2024
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Puzzle · Primary genre
- Tags
- Linear LevelsThird PersonStory-drivenExplorationMain Story 10–20 HoursInvestigationPuzzle Solving3D GraphicsSlow BurnSolo-friendly
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- Side view
Release editions
- Windows PCWorldwideMay 9, 2024
- PlayStation 5WorldwideMay 9, 2024
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwideMay 9, 2024
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
- www.nintendo.com