A brand-new indie game has just hit the PlayStation 5, and it’s quickly become one of the highest-rated games of the year. Well Dweller, a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, has earned a Top Critic Average of 90 on OpenCritic, putting it above some of the best-reviewed PS5 games of 2026.
Announced last August, Well Dweller is a dark fantasy metroidvania in which players assume the role of Glimmer, a tiny blackbird equipped with a matchstick. Very reminiscent of Hollow Knight, Well Dweller features side-scrolling hack-and-slash combat, monstrous bosses, both grotesque and cute NPCs, and expansive, interconnected level design. Well Dweller has been created by Kyle Thompson, an indie developer best known for their work on Islets, Sheepo, and Crypt Custodian.
Well Dweller is Now One of the Highest-Rated Games of 2026
Well Dweller is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S, and critic reviews have started to pour in. On OpenCritic, Well Dweller has earned a Top Critic Average of 90 and an incredibly impressive critic recommendation score of 100%, all based on a total of 18 critic reviews. Well Dweller‘s average score of 90 makes it the 4th highest-rated 2026 game on OpenCritic, though it’s technically sharing that position with Valheim, Lost and Found Co., and Schrödinger’s Call. That said, Well Dweller has still beaten out huge 2026 releases like Resident Evil Requiem, Pokemon Pokopia, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, though it comes just behind Forza Horizon 6, Mina the Hollower, and Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
It’s a very similar story over on Metacritic, where Well Dweller has an average score of 91 based on seven reviews of the PC version of the indie metroidvania. The PS5 version of Well Dweller is currently sitting at a Metacritic score of 88, while the Xbox Series X/S version is at 85. Taking the highest of Well Dweller‘s average scores makes it the 4th highest-rated 2026 game on Metacritic as well, though it’s technically tied for the 2nd spot with Big Walk and Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, as all earned an average of 91. The only 2026 game with a higher average score right now is Sektori‘s Nintendo Switch 2 version.
At the highest end of the critical spectrum comes Console Creatures’ review, which gives Well Dweller a 10/10 and calls it a “complete package of creativity, rewarding exploration, and an emotionally charged story filled with dozens of fantastic characters.” Loot Level Chill was similarly glowing about Well Dweller, giving the game a 9.5/10 and calling it “one of the most polished and captivating Metroidvanias [they’ve] played in years.” The lowest scores Well Dweller has right now on OpenCritic are a handful of 8/10s, with some frustrations with stealth and some minor pacing issues being highlighted by Seasoned Gaming, and a lack of truly original ideas being pointed out by Gamer Guides.
On the whole, however, it seems as though Well Dweller is widely considered to be one of the best metroidvanias in recent years, with top-notch presentation, lovable characters, refined gameplay mechanics, and an engrossing eerie atmosphere. Those looking to pick Well Dweller up for themselves can make use of a limited-time discount that drops the game to $16.99 on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
- 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
