Talk to someone who is fully into the indie game Extremely good, and you’re bound to hear some strange things. You may be excited about a new way to use a Frisbee or frustrated about playing music to a caged cat. They’ll probably talk about the dozens of different colored eggs they’ve collected and all the eggs that seem just out of reach. However, most of the time what they say will sound like gibberish. That’s because the world of Animal welfare is so strange and cryptic that it almost requires its own language to discuss it – but once you speak it, it’s hard to think of anything else.
Animal welfare is the first release from solo developer Billy Basso and is probably best described as a Metroidvania. You play as a small round… thing that has been thrown into a huge underground labyrinth full of animals. Most of it is initially inaccessible. But as you unlock new items and skills, you can slowly expand your uses and uses. It also contains elements of platform games, with lots of dangerous gaps to jump over and sometimes horror. You may not be able to tell from the pixel art graphics, but being chased by a floating ghost dog or a rampaging kangaroo is pretty terrifying.
Their main goal, at least initially, seems to be to collect a whole bunch of eggs for a giant peacock. But this is never directly explained. In fact, there’s almost nothing in it Animal welfare is explained. You’re just thrown into this world and have to figure things out. And this process requires a lot of experimentation. Most of its elements cannot be clearly interpreted. Your list of items might include things like a slinky and a yo-yo, which you’ll have to use in inventive ways to flip switches, distract creatures, and advance in the game. I often found out things by accident. At one point I got frustrated and started throwing my yo-yo around wildly, only to realize that it had a very noticeable effect on a nearby rat, helping me make progress.
When you figure these things out, it’s incredibly satisfying, especially because it feels like you’re doing it on your own. And there are many moments like that because Animal welfare is a dense and complex game. Every detail – the sounds, the symbols, the animals frolicking in the background – seems to have a meaning something. Every discovery, be it a location, an item, or a skill, opens up a possibility. Often these are small wins that push the boundaries of the map a little further, but sometimes they’re eye-opening, like finding a new use for an item you’ve had for hours. No matter how big the victory, every victory feels earned. I can’t express how happy I was when I finally got a simple pencil.
Despite it, Animal welfare can get frustrating. There are some very difficult platforming and chase sequences that require quick reflexes and near-perfect timing, and there’s at least one boss that made me put down my controller for the night. (Since there is no real combat Animal welfare, the bosses also require strong platforming skills.) It’s also very easy to get stuck. This is partly intentional, but that doesn’t make it any less tedious as you comb through the same few areas looking for that one little thing that’s been missing.
Usually that’s enough to put me off a game, but Animal welfare‘s mysteries are so strange, satisfying and numerous that I can’t seem to help but keep going. It doesn’t hurt that the game evokes a lot of atmosphere despite its seemingly simple style. It’s a world that feels alive: grass and vines blow in the wind, and bioluminescent worms provide a touch of light in otherwise dark, oppressive caves. It can be dark, calming or unsettling depending on which room you are in. I played most of the game with headphones on and couldn’t help but cringe when the aforementioned kangaroo appeared with a loud noise thrum.
It’s unclear to me how big Animal welfare it’s really; It feels like there are a lot more layers to peel away and I’m not sure I’ll ever see it all. That’s one of the reasons I persevered through those frustrating moments, and also the reason I’m excited for the release. I can only make so much progress alone, but with a group of like-minded players I hope we can unlock much more of the game together. We just have to speak the same language first.
Animal welfare will be released on May 9th on PS5, Steam and Nintendo Switch.