Animal Well: The Tiny Metroidvania Breaking Records in an Era of Gigantic Games

Animal Well, a petite yet powerful metroidvania game, is making waves in the gaming world, defying the trend of massive file sizes dominating the industry. Developed by Billy Basso, this game has swiftly risen to become the second best-rated title of 2024, trailing closely behind Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. While Rebirth demands a whopping 150GB of storage space, Animal Well squeezes all its charm and intricacy into a mere fraction of that.

Behind the Scenes of Animal Well's Development

Animal Well is really small, just 33.3MB. The person who made it, Billy Basso, said he tried to make it really simple when he programmed it. Basso stated that he used a special way of making the game and didn't add anything extra to it. He also used simple pictures to make it.

Despite its diminutive size, Animal Well expands to 101MB on consoles like the PS5. Basso clarified that this increase is mainly due to the inclusion of a 4K background image in the console UI, surpassing the actual game's size. Nevertheless, the game's content far outweighs its file size, as players delve into its vast world brimming with creativity and depth.

Exploring the Mystery of Animal Well

Critics have hailed Animal Well as an "endlessly inventive Metroidvania with unfathomable depth," according to a review by GamesRadar. Despite its quick completion time, players are discovering that uncovering all of its secrets requires a collective effort and extensive exploration. Days after its launch, players are still unraveling the game's intricacies, uncovering hidden treasures that promise hours of immersive gameplay and community collaboration.

In an era dominated by colossal games, Animal Well stands as a beacon of innovation, proving that size isn't everything when it comes to delivering a captivating gaming experience.