Well Dweller
89
CriticDB
Rating

Well Dweller

byKyle Thompson•2026

Well Dweller is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania full of charming characters living in a wretched kingdom. Play as Glimmer- a tiny bird armed with a matchstick- who must burn the wicked queen to save his family.

Details

Released
September 21, 2026
Developer
Kyle Thompson
Platforms
PC · Switch · PS5 · Xbox Series X|S · Switch 2

Similar Games

Well Dweller Reviews

Professional reviews from gaming critics

Well Dweller is a complete package of creativity, rewarding exploration, and an emotionally charged story filled with dozens of fantastic characters. It is an all-time great in the Metroidvania genre.

Sep 21, 2026

Well Dweller is one of the most polished and captivating Metroidvanias I've played in years, and even in this packed season it's a must play.

Sep 21, 2026

With impeccable platforming and engaging combat and mobility, Well Dweller is joyous to control. Few Metroidvania games feel this good, with a map so big that you're constantly finding new challenges, secrets, and wildly impressive boss battles. Well Dweller is an absolute delight from start to fini

Sep 21, 2026

Well Dweller is a fantastic traditional metroidvania, with incredibly well-designed challenges supplemented by a perky and upbeat dark fairytale.

Sep 22, 2026

Well Dweller is a great modern Metroidvania, with enough fresh touches to make the classic formula feel fresh. The platforming gameplay leans naturally into the massive settings, with the kind of naturally inviting world that the best entries in the genre have. Metroidvanias have been refined and experimented with plenty over the years, with developers encouraged to reinvent the genre with unique approaches.

Sep 26, 2026

Well Dweller is a new platformer/metroidvania set in a darkly gothic fairy tale world, about a family of birds escaping an evil Queen.

Sep 28, 2026

Well Dweller is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, full of charming characters living in a wretched kingdom!

Sep 22, 2026

The simultaneously morbid and cute atmosphere is the biggest highlight of this fun and engaging Metroidvania.

Sep 21, 2026

Well Dweller is the next Metroidvania from one-man developer Kyle Thompson. Does he deliver another top-tier indie game? Read the review here!

Sep 21, 2026

Well Dweller Review - Glimmer Of Hope

Sep 19, 2026

Developer Kyle Thompson has made a name for himself in the Metroidvania subgenre, with multiple well-regarded games released over the last several years. After pivoting to a top-down take, he’s returned to the side-scroller well with, uh, Well Dweller. The game shares a lot of DNA with previous game

Sep 21, 2026

Instead, Well Dweller puts its weight behind surprisingly substantial storytelling, a weird cast of characters with genuine charm, and exploration that gradually unlocks clever ways to move through its dark yet intriguing fairy-tale world. It is a very accessible adventure with plenty of personality – one that grew on me considerably the deeper I ventured into its rotten little kingdom.

Sep 21, 2026