4/5 ★ – Synergenesis's review of ANIMAL WELL.

Animal Well joins the ranks of Fez and Tunic as games that pair the childlike curiosity of metroidvania exploration with the mind-blowing awe of outstandingly clever puzzles. A master of "show don't tell", Animal Well implores you to experiment with its simple yet elegant mechanics. The feeling of organically discovering a new use for a tool you've had since the beginning of the game is very gratifying, and I'm not sure if any other game I've played has made me experience that feeling quite as much. The world of Animal Well is an extremely enticing one to explore, with gorgeous pixel art scenery and mysterious things lurking around every corner. There are truly no "dead ends" in Animal Well; the player is rewarded for whichever avenue of curiosity they feel inspired to traverse. One important caveat (that isn't really a spoiler in any meaningful sense of the word - it's more of a heads up about the types and "caliber" of puzzles in this game): there's a fair amount of puzzles in this game that cannot be feasibly solved by a singular person. If you are the type of completionist puzzle solver who is adamant about doing every puzzle without looking up spoilers or otherwise getting help, you will likely find yourself very frustrated at a certain point into the game. I have definitely embraced this kind of determination with puzzle games in the past, and all I'll say is that I'm glad I didn't do that with this game. With that being said, Animal Well is a masterfully crafted puzzle game and will almost certainly be seen as one of of the poster children for the metroidbrania subgenre in years to come.