Creature in the Well Critic Reviews

Overall, I had an amazing time with Creature in the Well. It’s one of the best dungeon crawlers on the Switch and most certainly deserves to be the pioneer in a new genre that Flight School is calling the “Pinbrawler.” It’s a game I can easily see myself coming back to multiple times.

The Creature in the Well is a harsh mistress, but one that’s incredibly rewarding to those who push on.

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.

It’s tough at times, there no denying that, but figuring out how to use each sector’s layout to your advantage will soon make you appreciate the subtly implemented progression system and impeccably designed rooms, adding to the pinball hack and slash gameplay that feels fantastic in all its forms from the moment you step foot in the mountain.

Creature in the Well is an inventive experiment that executes a quirky concept very well. When you’re embroiled in the pinball dungeon crawling, it’s transcendent with only fleeting moments of repetition. The periphery is unfortunately a little maddening, with death gameplay loop and general lack of explanation topping the complaints. My advice would be to not go into it fully blind and don’t be afraid to ask for help at the outset. It’s well worth trotting through the rough opening to get to the gooey center of excellent genre blending.

Creature in the Well has a unique concept I cheer along with an eye-catching presentation. True, the execution can feel slightly mixed – certainly not disjointed per se, but jumbled at intervals. The difficulty, at times, is lacking in a balance that leads to consistently true satisfaction, and thus some marks were missed, or not fully realized. But when it comes to exploring the hand-crafted dungeons, finding secrets, and reading up to learn more about the mystery, Creature in the Well excels.

It looks fantastic too, with the comic book artwork really bringing the characters and environments to life. If we had one major criticism, it’s that the game suffers from pacing issues, particularly earlier on as you get used to how the pinball mechanics work.

Creature in the Well is one of the most original games we’ve played in a while. If you like the idea of mixing dungeons, hack and slash and pinball, then make sure you give it a try.

The absence so carefully crafted by Flight School Studios invites us to fill in the narrative gaps of Creature in the Well and creates a unique relationship with the antagonist. But maybe I’m a fool and can’t read the signs before my eyes. Too ready to trust and believe in the good of all. But that’s the power of mystery.

Creature in the Well is a pleasant change to the usual dungeon crawler formula. While it can be punishing at times, its challenges can be overcome. If you enjoy Pinball, Breakout, Tennis or even games like Windjammers and would like to try a different spin on them, Creature in the Well is for you. There are at least five hours of fun genre mash-up here, that happens to have a really nice art style too. I’d love to see more like this from developer Flight School Studio in the future.

With its fun gameplay mechanics and marvelous art style, Creature in the Well's qualities far outweigh its sense of repetitiveness and absence of a more pronounced audio component. A very original and welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch catalogue that everyone should try.

Creature in the Well is a strange invention but one that ends up being much more than just a curious mixup of genres. It’s a mysterious journey through a weirdly beautiful mechanical world, the pinball-esque hook constantly driving you forward as you explore deeper. It’s an enjoyable venture sprinkled with moments of frustration, confusion, and repetition but that doesn’t stop it being any less engaging and a true one of a kind experience for Switch.

Creature in the Well is unique, creative, and original, and we love original games. it is easy to understand and to play, and it provides a very well thought-out mix between hitting the ball and exploring the dungeon-like environments with minimalism approach.The experience didn't evolve as much as we hoped though, and we felt there is room for improvements.

Creature in the Well inovates in many ways, and has a great atmosphere. But the game is damn tough and will discourage many players.

Pinball-inspired dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash Creature in the Well is short, sweet, and satisfying, whatever that word means.

Creature in the Well dances between minimalistic style and narrative juxtaposed against challenging puzzles and a creative new way to play. It’s an indie game that was lovingly crafted to put emphasis in all the right places and to give the player a new experience without bogging down in a heavy story. Instead, it leaves bread crumbs that players can choose to pick up or simply enjoy ricocheting orbs at high speed. The game is just as addictive as playing a real pinball machine, and the stages last just long enough to comfortably play in short bursts, but the challenge of “just one more run” is ever-present as you repair the giant construct to save the village and simply must know what happens next.

The game’s simple but original gameplay idea collides with its flawed design, but is good enough to give players an enjoyable pinball-RPG experience.

I love the style and overall concept of Creature in the Well, but after its initial statement, it just didn’t have much to say. With more detail, a few more ideas and a bit more depth, it would be a must-play. Although it doesn’t get where it needs to go, it’s a great start from Flight School Studio that’s got me excited to see how they up their game next time around.

Creature in the Well is a remarkable action and puzzle game that introduces very polished and interesting pinball mechanics. If you can ignore its repetitiveness and its graphic style catches you, it is a highly recommended purchase.

Creature in the Well is a clever and challenging original take on dungeon-crawl pinball. It might be too tricky at times, and irritating when you have to trek back to the point you died, but the action sure is fun.