Well Dweller is an Action, Adventure, Metroidvania from the mind of Kyle Thompson. The same creator of my favourite game, Crypt Custodian. Well Dweller was honestly an adventure I could not put down. You’re going around fighting these small creatures while being a small creature yourself. But enough of that, grab your matchstick and a slingshot as we begin this review.
This game has a surprise cameo from the McDonalds at night Moon Guy. Don’t believe, well you’ll see.
Gameplay
Well Dweller has us play as Glimmer. The oldest of five siblings, sent to go grab food from the Hunter’s cabin. After retrieving the food as mother asked, we headed back to our home in the well. But, unbeknownst to Glimmer, he was being followed by the same hunter they stole from.
This man starts to grab your family and destroy your home with a shit-eating grin. You escape through the hole under your home and dodge this dirty hunter’s grip. After an event that is going to require therapy, Glimmer begins to make the Hunter the Hunted.
Now, with my history with Crypt Custodian, this game will have you become a clever bird. The more you unlock mechanics, the more you’ll pull off stunts to get somewhere. I’ve honestly gotten to areas that I shouldn’t have because of this. Eventually you’ll start pulling off manoeuvres like diving and sliding to perform a speed dive. Even the time trails will challenge your creativity with what you have and boy does it ever.
Just like Crypt Custodian, you get trinkets that will assist you during your travels. These trinkets have a lot of benefits when applying them onto Glimmer. Yet, their equipment space required will make Hollow Knight charms blush…with jealousy! The glory of this game allows you to buy more space to equip more. I bought all 100 that the shop had…even though I had to pay for it one at a time.
Graphics and Audio
The art style of the game is sharper than it was on Crypt Custodian with a lot more details. You can see the love and effort made to the background, the map and even the tents we enter. Kyle did not skip a bit to make the natural looks of the forest look breathtaking. While making places like the Hunter’s Cabin look creepy as it does. Even the attention to details to the bosses you encounter reaches a creepy factor that haunts my dreams.
The music and sound effects played throughout my journey were actually quite peaceful when traveling. And when the boss fight happens, the music kicks it up to an 11 and motivates you to keep going. I wish I could go deeper on some of the locations you go to, but I honestly don’t want to spoil the enjoyment others could have after escaping the Hunter
Longevity
I honestly invested a whole 13 hours from the two days I played. I could not stop playing until I beat the game. You can beat the story in about 11 hours. However, it will take about an hour more just to have it 100%. If you play the game right, you shouldn’t miss anything and get to use some new abilities along exploring all the areas.
Final Thoughts
Well Dweller is honestly a beautiful game and I highly recommend playing it for its amazing story and not too stressful of a time when fighting. My only gripe with the game is with the shop and trying to bulk buy trinket spaces. Other than that, the game made me smile, laugh, angry and sad my entire experience. I doubt Kyle would read this, but thank you again for making another great game. In a time where a good chunk of us are alone and family is far from us, the game helps us remember that family is worth fighting for. And if your child likes plucking bird feathers out of pure psychotic joy…TO THE BRIG THEY GO!I also like harvesting food, plants and eggs to use to eat or make more. Plus, finding different vendors who sell skills, books and other great items while exploring made me want to search for more stuff.
I give Well Dweller the Thumb Culture Platinum Award
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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