Kyle Thompson’s metroidvania Well Dweller follows a matchstick-wielding bird’s journey through a dark fairy tale kingdom.
Well Dweller. Credit: Kyle Thompson / Top Hat Studios, Inc. / Doyoyo Games
Well Dweller is the latest game from Kyle Thompson, the creator of Sheepo, Islets, and Crypt Custodian. Following the top-down metroidvania Crypt Custodian, Thompson shifts to a sidescrolling perspective in Well Dweller. I loved Crypt Custodian and I loved Well Dweller even more.
You play as Glimmer, a bird living in a dark fairy tale kingdom where the queen has ordered all birds to be slaughtered so she can make a gown from their feathers. When Glimmer goes out to forage, a hunter follows him back to the well his family calls home. Glimmer barely escapes and must go on a journey to save his family. The game is full of endearing animal characters forced to cope with the horrific world they live in. It’s far darker than Crypt Custodian yet still heartwarming at times.
Glimmer’s primary weapon is a matchstick, which he uses to hit enemies at close range. He can also throw a limited number of firebombs. Most normal enemy encounters aren’t difficult, especially since enemies tend to clearly signal when they’re winding up an attack, letting you time your dodge slide. I found bosses harder to read, making those fights considerably more difficult. Once I played more patiently and took the time to recognize their patterns, I was able to beat most within two or three attempts. Combat overall is simple, but it feels so good to hit things with the match and dodge that I never felt like it needed more. I particularly enjoyed the combat challenges sprinkled throughout the game, where you lose if you take a single hit. They’re a fantastic showcase for how tight the combat feels.
Well Dweller. Credit: Kyle Thompson / Top Hat Studios, Inc. / Doyoyo Games
The match is also a tool for traversal. While standing on solid ground, you can throw it into a wall to create a trampoline-like platform. Attacking calls the match back to you. You’ll gain more abilities to reach the unreachable, such as wall jumps, climbing, and gliding. Traversal feels great, just like the combat, and it’s easy to enter a flow state as you explore. Your walk slowly builds into a run, and maintaining that momentum as you jump around feels wonderful. My only frustration was with the game’s optional time trial challenges that force you to completely master your movement toolset. They were too unforgiving; any mistake would lead to failure.
You can also collect and buy trinkets that augment your abilities or attacks, along with points that let you equip more trinkets. I tended to stick with a handful and didn’t feel like most were particularly game-changing; they just give you a slight edge. Still, I collected everything, because I loved exploring the game. Being able to fast travel freely to any discovered save point hugely helps in this regard.
Well Dweller. Credit: Kyle Thompson / Top Hat Studios, Inc. / Doyoyo Games
Well Dweller has the look of a lavishly illustrated dark fairy tale. Its lush world is threaded with grotesque imagery, as Glimmer and the kingdom’s other endearing animal inhabitants navigate ruined structures and scattered, decaying human bodies that dwarf them. There’s a deeply melancholic beauty to it all. The animals’ cute, stylized simplicity contrasts with the enemies’ spindly, Burtonesque menace. The giant bosses, on the other hand, are terrifying. They’re grotesque amalgamations of sharp limbs and teeth, bloody mouths stretched into rictus grins, crab legs, bone, and other horrific things. I love the designs.
Well Dweller’s combat and traversal are simple, but I couldn’t get enough of either. Exploring its gorgeous, horrific fairy tale world was a pleasure. Kyle Thompson has topped his work on Crypt Custodian, delivering one of the best games of the year. It’s a must-play, especially for spooky season.
Well Dweller
Well Dweller is a gorgeous, dark fairy tale metroidvania that feels wonderful to play. Fighting and exploring were equally rewarding.
Kyle Thompson’s metroidvania Well Dweller follows a matchstick-wielding bird’s journey through a dark fairy tale kingdom.