'Animal Well': A mysterious world full of puzzles

Berlin (dpa) — An underground labyrinth with animals: That's "Animal Well," a game with lots of puzzles, horror, and questions that starts right in the middle of the action.

At the centre of this 2D platformer is a small spherical character or blob. What happens or what the goal is is withheld from you. The game works entirely according to the principle of "learning by doing."

It really does feel like you've fallen into another world — or into a magical well. Most of the rooms are damp and dark and the only lighting comes from a few lamps, candles or glowing plants. This creates an almost mystical atmosphere and you don't always know what's waiting in the shadows.

To keep track of things, there's a map that gradually fills up with each room you visit. Simply place a stamp on the map and you'll have a better chance of finding your way back there.

Not every room is accessible from the start and not every puzzle can be solved straight away. Sometimes a required object is missing and there are a few of them. One of the first things you find is a Frisbee and that opens up completely new challenges.

But first you have to find out what the Frisbee can actually do because in keeping with the spirit of the game, it comes without instructions.

In addition to the usual platformer elements, such as well-placed jumps to the next level, other talents are required. The puzzles are divided into different layers. The basic story is only the first of the three levels.

With each layer, the puzzles become more difficult and require help and knowledge from outside the game. Hidden Morse code, links, and encrypted messages provide all kinds of excitement.

If you like puzzles of all possible levels of difficulty and are also a fan of jump'n'run games, you will find everything your heart desires here. The mysterious world practically invites you to examine everything two or even three times.

"Animal Well" is available for around €25/$25 on PCs, the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S.