Creature in the Well

You could reel off the array of influences you might see in Creature in the Well, but ultimately this is a unique, beautiful game that forges its own path amongst them. Simply put, it's astoundingly good.

Things have changed a lot since the 16-bit era. Games have gone from intimate single-player quests to full-scale, thousand-player services. While developers continually expand into new genres, some things inevitably fall by the wayside. In 2019, it’s rare for a new game to invoke the specific feelings brought on by CREATURE IN THE WELL. There’s the mystery of not knowing even the basic rules of a new world. The wonder of opening secret passages by accident. The feeling that you’re breaking the game and the realization that it’s all part of the plan. Creature in the Well beautifully evokes thos...

I can’t think of any other way to start off this review for Creature in the Well other than saying that this is a very unique game. Yet at the same time, it’s not the first pseudo-metroidvania with pinball elements I’ve played in the past few years, that other game being Yoku’s Island Express. This is definitely not a criticism towards Creature in the Well, but just a way to prove how diverse the indie market is. The market manages to provide players with different experiences even th...

Dungeon of the pinbrawler.

Flight School’s Creature in the Well is a curious mix familiar gameplay features. It’s being sold as a pinball inspired dungeon crawler, but there’s more to it than that.

Flight School Studio has created an exceptional world to explore in Creature in the Well. Its prodigious art direction is enticing, wooing players into a unique puzzle game that very much feels like a history lesson on the medium itself. It combines ideas and concepts found throughout gaming into a single, dynamic experience with a memorable antagonist eerily watching your every move. I absolutely love it, but I recognize there is room for improvement. With a bit more variety in design and a fine-tuned difficulty curve, it could have been one for the ages.

The entire pinball premise for the gameplay is excellently done, feels great and with it having a learning curve makes it all the more fun to figure out and master.

Thankfully, it’s not enough of a complaint to sink the game. Creature in the Well has more staying power than the pinball machines that inspired it, and that’s even before you consider its distinctive visual style and entertaining story. It won’t turn you into a pinball wizard, but it will provide you with several hours of unique entertainment.

While it has a fantastic high level concept, Creature in the Well quickly realizes it has no idea what to actually do with it and becomes a repetitive slog before long.