I’ll say up front that I enjoy a good challenge when it comes to video games. I can get down with soulslikes, challenging metroidvanias, and action RPGs that make me think twice about my character’s build. However, there are plenty of times I just want to play a game that has the mechanics and tone of those genres without feeling like I need to tip-toe my way through an environment because I’m not sure when something is going to delete me in one hit. Thankfully, there are games like that out there, and Kyle Thompson’s upcoming metroidvania Well Dweller is proof. In fact, after spending nearly an hour with its demo on Steam, I want so much more of it, as its emphasis on traversal puzzles over combat, its unique Tim Burton-esque art style, and its cozy atmosphere and lighthearted tone are what I didn’t realize I was craving after fighting my way through Hollow Knight: Silksong.
I need to go ahead and note that Well Dweller isn’t only coming to Steam on September 22, 2026, either, as it will also be launching on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. So, if you’re as into playing metroidvanias on a handheld console as I am, and you don’t own a Steam Deck but do own either Switch, you’re in luck. But apart from its platforms, I simply can’t emphasize enough how much of a breath of fresh air this is if you’re looking for a metroidvania that, according to its demo, is a little on the lighter side. That being said, Well Dweller can still be challenging if you don’t keep your wits about you, and its boss fights, especially, still require you to think. It’s also possible that things ramp up in the full game after what I played in the demo, but based on my experience alone, it already feels like one of the best metroidvanias to play if you want a change of pace for once.
Well Dweller Is Charming, Cozy, and Cool
Check Out Well Dweller on Steam
Before I dig into Well Dweller‘s combat, let me get into what this game is really trying to sell—again, based on my limited time with its demo. Yes, there is combat, and it’s fun, but the heart of this experience is its world, its atmosphere, and its traversal. Actually, the majority of Well Dweller‘s demo revolves around solving traversal puzzles and, in standard metroidvania fashion, backtrack-heavy exploration. And when I wasn’t exploring or fighting off weird-looking monsters, I was charmed by the characters and the presentation, both visual and audible.
Glimmer, Well Dweller‘s protagonist, is a tiny bird armed with little more than a matchstick, and he basically gets thrown into the role of unlikely hero when his family is torn apart. His siblings have been snatched away from their home, leaving Glimmer to venture out into this strange, rotting kingdom to find them and eventually make his way to the wicked Queen responsible for so much of its misery. His ultimate goal is pretty straightforward: reunite with his siblings, save his family, and burn the Queen. It’s a surprisingly dark setup for a game that can be so downright adorable at times, especially once you start meeting Glimmer’s siblings and seeing how they interact with one another. But I think that’s a huge part of what makes Well Dweller such a unique metroidvania. The world around these characters is grim and occasionally unsettling, while Glimmer and the people he meets somehow keep the whole thing from ever feeling miserable.
Well Dweller‘s demo is essentially its prologue, introducing the game’s signature combat and traversal mechanics, and setting up the main narrative of Glimmer venturing out to find his family. Unfortunately, the demo ended just as that premise was set up, but it did so in a way that made me want more of this charming little game, with a cliffhanger that started out creepy and ended in chaos. Nevertheless, it did its job, as it sold me on what Well Dweller was trying to do and what it would potentially offer me down the road.
Traversal and Exploration Are the Heart of Well Dweller’s Gameplay
It’s possible that the full version of Well Dweller will have more of an emphasis on combat, but the bulk of what I played centered around traversal and exploration. On the traversal side, there’s a simple jump action that can be slightly enhanced by holding the button down a bit longer. However, Glimmer can also slide—and it’s quite satisfying to do—in order to fit through tighter passages and avoid damage. Rather than a standard dodge that so many metroidvanias seem to have, Well Dweller uses its slide ability for both exploration and combat, with slide actually making Glimmer invulnerable to damage while it’s being executed. It’s fun to use, for one thing, but it’s also just satisfying hearing the soft sound it makes when the game’s adorable little protagonist glides across the floor.
Well Dweller‘s more distinctive traversal mechanics see Glimmer using bubbles to reach greater distances and a match—his primary weapon—to achieve greater heights. By attaching himself to a bubble, Glimmer can float in the direction of your choice, with the jump button then allowing him to leap out of the bubble in any other direction you choose. He can also throw his match like a slingshot to attach it to a surface, after which the match becomes a springboard he can use to jump a little higher. The bubbles and the slingshot-match combo were actually the two mechanics I used most during the demo to solve Well Dweller‘s simple but fun traversal puzzles.
When I wasn’t exploring or fighting off weird-looking monsters, I was charmed by the characters and the presentation, both visual and audible.
On the exploration side of things, however, there are collectibles to find and characters to meet. Apart from Glimmer’s siblings and mother, whom I fell in love with almost instantly, I met a Looter NPC during Well Dweller‘s demo that offered to sell me Trinkets in exchange for certain amounts of the game’s currency—which you collect by defeating monsters. When I first stumbled upon him, there was only one item I could afford, a Flaming Vessel, which is essentially a molotov. But shortly after that, he appeared in my tent, the game’s safe haven, and even expanded its interior and his inventory in the process. From there, I could return to him to purchase various Trinkets that, when equipped, offer unique gameplay bonuses.
There are plenty of collectibles to find, too, in the demo at least. But if this is a sign of what is to come in the full game, I’m looking forward to exploring every nook and cranny to find every single collectible item. There are simpler items, like pages to the fairy tale story Well Dweller‘s world is based on, but there are other unique finds as well. During my demo playthrough, I stumbled on a couple of Trinket Slots, which allow me to equip more Trinkets, but Looter also sells plenty of those for a price. I also found a Spirit and brought it back to a little sanctuary where, afterward returning it, I was told there were 20 of them in total to collect and return. I’m not quite sure what their function is yet, or whether there will be more to find in other zones, but I always enjoy a good collectathon, regardless of what I’m searching for.
Well Dweller’s Combat Still Does the Trick
But of course, if you’re wondering whether Well Dweller‘s combat is enough to justify its existence in the first place, you’ll be happy to know that it is. I know I’ve basically painted this little indie gem out to be a lighter metroidvania, but I’ll admit that I did die a few times, simply because I underestimated it. I’ll also admit, with a little shame, that I didn’t die during the demo’s boss encounter—it was actually a few rank-and-file enemies that got me. Nevertheless, I found it immensely satisfying studying each enemy’s combat patterns and then changing my own to counter them.
The only catch with Well Dweller, for anyone who prefers having a wide variety of combat skills in a metroidvania, is that its combat is fairly basic. Again, I’ll throw a disclaimer in here that this is an observation based on the game’s demo, and it’s possible the full game could have a lot more going on when it comes to combat. However, even if it doesn’t, combat is still somehow a lot of fun, because it mostly revolves around timing—learning an enemy’s attack patterns and then carefully timing your own attacks.
During Well Dweller‘s demo, I fought The Groundskeeper boss, who wasn’t necessarily difficult, but still required me to pay close attention. Every enemy attack in the game is clearly indicated by the color pink, and as long as you’re sliding when one of those pink symbols crosses in front of Glimmer, you’ll avoid taking damage. The Groundskeeper’s moveset was pretty simple, though, and once I learned it, I gave him a good several whacks with my match in between attacks.
But it’s the enemy design, particularly the bosses, that really impressed me in Well Dweller. As I said earlier, they have this Tim Burton look about them, which is fitting, considering this is a fairy tale-like metroidvania and Burton has a knack for that space. With design like that, they don’t really need to make me sweat bullets every time I encounter them. They’re enough to look at and appreciate anyway.
If you’re wondering whether Well Dweller‘s combat is enough to justify its existence in the first place, you’ll be happy to know that it is.
Despite my statement about the combat being simple, though, I did pick up that Flaming Vessel item I mentioned before, and it can be thrown out enemies—or thrown and then launched further by hitting it with the match—to inflict some ranged damage. That gives me at least a glimmer (pun intended) of hope that the full game will have more items that make combat even more exciting. It’s also worth mentioning that there are some Trinkets that can passively deal damage to foes as well. I actually saw one in Looter’s inventory that would automatically deal damage to enemies who damage Glimmer.
Well Dweller Is the Change of Pace I Didn’t Know I Needed
Ultimately, Well Dweller‘s demo gave me exactly what I didn’t realize I wanted from a metroidvania right now. It has enough combat to keep me engaged and enough challenge to make me pay attention, but it never felt like it was constantly trying to punish me as so many other games in the genre do. Instead, I spent most of my time figuring out how to reach somewhere new, poking around for collectibles, meeting strange characters, and enjoying just how much personality Kyle Thompson has managed to squeeze into this weird little fairy tale. Between Glimmer sliding across the floor, launching himself from bubbles, springing off his own match, and taking on some genuinely creative-looking enemies, there was rarely a moment during the demo when I wasn’t enjoying myself.
More than anything, though, Well Dweller left me wanting to see what comes next. The demo only gives a small taste of its world, progression, combat, and story, and it ends right when things start getting particularly interesting, so I’m very curious to see how much all of those systems grow beyond the prologue. Thankfully, there isn’t much longer to wait. Well Dweller launches September 22, 2026, for PC via Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, and after what I played, it’s absolutely one I’ll be keeping an eye on when that day arrives.
- Released
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2026
- Developer(s)
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Kyle Thompson
- Publisher(s)
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Kyle Thompson, Top Hat Studios, Inc.
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
