After seven years of tireless work by solo developer Billy Basso, the long-awaited puzzle-platform adventure Animal Well is finally preparing to welcome players into its atmospheric, labyrinthine world on May 9th for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Announced for a $24.99 / £20.99 / €24.50 release by publishers BIGMODE, Animal Well is a nonlinear “Metroidvania” style experience that combines tense survival elements with environmental puzzles and secrets to uncover as players delve deeper into its ominous, interconnected passages.
“I started development on Animal Well seven years ago and spent the majority of my evenings and weekends since that time working on it,” said Basso. “I quit my day job about two years ago to finish the game and couldn’t be prouder of how the game turned out. This has been my passion for a long time, and I’m so excited to finally share it with the world.”
Billed as a “dense atmospheric puzzle box world with attention paid to every detail,” Animal Well will challenge players to explore its darkened corridors, solving mind-bending riddles by making clever observations and using collected items in unexpected ways.
While the main adventure promises an immersive journey full of secrets to discover, Basso teases that dedicated puzzle fans will be “discovering hidden puzzles for years” thanks to the game’s intricate, systemic design where seemingly innocuous elements can become crucial.
Rather than relying on combat abilities, players must carefully assess threats and hazards, using their limited resources and wits to survive the outstanding creatures inhabiting Animal Well’s deep recesses. The focus is on generating an aura of creeping tension and suspense as players feel disempowered yet resourceful.
With its striking visuals and intricate world to explore and manipulate, the seven-year passion project of Basso’s one-man studio Shared Memory is shaping up to be a unique indie gem for fans of cerebral, unsettling adventures. Animal Well solves its final puzzle and opens the path to release when it emerges from the shadows across all platforms on May 9th.
