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Animal Wellis a real enigma of a game. While it looks like a typical pixel art Metroidvania on the surface, the deeper you dig into this game, the more you’ll uncover. This well goes deep, and as such, there are a lot of important things about the world that you won’t understand at first.
If you’re looking to learn more about what to expect from Animal Well, these spoiler-free tips and tricks will help you get your bearings. And if you’re already stuck, hopefully this advice will help nudge you in the right direction.
Go Into It As Fresh As Possible
This first one is a bit counter-intuitive, considering you’re already here looking for information about the game. If you haven’t started Animal Well yet and you’re just here because you’re apprehensive about its well-deserved reputation of being a difficult nut to crack, I wouldrecommend you stop reading and dive right in.
This is a difficult game, but a lot ofthe joy of playing it comes from solving its many puzzles yourself. Once you get into the game and find yourself lost for direction, come back and see if this article can help set you straight.
But if you’re just starting, I recommend you see how far you can get on your own.
If You Get Stuck, Seek Another Path
Metroidvanias are surprisingly linear for how complex and interconnected their level designs often are, butthat’s not the case in Animal Well. Metroid games are so rigid with their critical paths that any deviation from that course is considered a sequence break, but in Animal Well,there’s never only one way forward.
If you find yourself at a dead end, or you’re unsure of how to move forward with the upgrades you currently have, you may be better off turning around and seeking a different way forward.
Sometimesyou’ll find an upgradesomewhere else that will open up the path you’re trying to follow. The four flames you need to collect are marked on the map, and youcan pursue them in a few different orders, so don’t feel like you’re stuck just because the current path forward isn’t obvious.
Firecrackers And Candles Can Be Used To Defeat Certain Enemies
Animal Wellis a non-combat game, which means you won’t be using guns and weapons to interact with creatures in the world.Most threats need to be avoided, while others can be distracted or controlled to help you solve puzzles. Usually, when you’re in danger,the correct response is to run away.
There are a few exceptions, however. Near the start of the game you’ll find the firecrackers, and immediately after you’ll find yourself in a room with a hostile ghost. Thefirecracker can be thrown to banish ghosts. If you have a candle, you canlight it in many rooms to prevent ghosts from spawning.
Ghosts aren’t the only creatures that can be banished with firecrackers. So if you encounter other animals that seem to pursue you relentlessly, try throwing a firecracker at them and see what happens.
You Need To Get Creative With Upgrades To Progress
Animal Well’s upgrades are simple, everyday objects that seem fairly mundane at first blush. The disc flies forward when you throw it, the bubble wand makes a floating bubble, and the slinky slinks down stairs. But in order to make your way through Animal Well,you’ll have to find new and novel ways to use these common place items.
Experiment with the tools you have, and you’ll find they’re can do much more than meets the eye.
Someupgrades are necessary to reach new areas or solve certain puzzles, but quite often you’ll find that the upgrades you currently have will solve the problem ahead of you if youfigure out how to use them in creative ways. You’ll often need to combine the effects of different items together in order to achieve your goals, so think outside of the box when you get stuck.
Use The Map Tools Often
As with most Metroidvaniathe map is your guide to the world. It’s important to reference it frequently and use it to learn the shape of the world, how spaces are interconnected, and most importantly,identify places you haven’t been yet.
The map has tools that let you mark points of interest, and it’sessential you use these tools early and often. Anytime you see something weird, unique, or makes you think “huh, I bet that’s something,” it’sessential that you make a note for yourselfso that you can find it again later.
There is no item that highlights all of the secrets on the map, so be diligent and keep good notes if you intend to find everything.
The End Is Not The End
After the credits roll, Animal Well keeps going, and going, and going. That will be pretty obvious once you see what happens then, but after that, you’ll be completely on your own to make the next steps. While themain game only takes about five to seven hours to complete, you’ll spend double that, or maybeeven more, to uncover all the secretsin Animal Well.
This isn’t just about getting 100 percent completion like in other Metroidvanias. You’re not just looking for all the Easter Eggs for the sake of a Steam achievement.
Uncovering Animal Well’s big secrets is core to the experience, and well worth the effort it will take to achieve.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
You should try to do as much of Animal Well as you can on your own, and most people will be able to get through the main game without help. But once you get into the post-game, and the post-post game, and maybe even the post-post-post-game,you will eventually find yourself at a loss.
This is expected, and players are encouraged to work together to solve the game’s big mysteries. Thebest way to play Animal Well is to play alongside friendsso you can help each other out with hints when someone gets stuck. That way when you get to the end game,you’ll be able to work togetherto solve its big mysteries.
Don’t reach for a guide the second you get stuck, but also, don’t be ashamed if you need someone to point you in the right direction when you’re digging deep into the game’s final secrets.
