Creature in the Well
Review

Creature in the Well (2019) is a pinball-inspired fighting game that reimagines the ball-bouncing fun of Arkanoid. You play the last remaining robot who ventures deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility and save the village that relies on this resource.

Play is a combination of exploration and orb-firing and dodging puzzles. You can charge up energy orbs with your sabre and ricochet them to reactivate dormant machinery and stop the sandstorm.

Each area is like a pinball machine, although you send the energy balls flying around with your sword rather than with flippers. Working out what you need to do and then hitting the right angles to land the perfect bounce can take considerable time -- much like when you first encounter a new pinball machine. Similarly, at times it can all seem overwhelming with light and balls flying everywhere.

The result is a skill-based puzzle game with a unique feel and a dark brooding monster to defeat. The time-bound levels are a tough challenge but you don't need to tackle everything to progress.

There are 16 different weapons to help. The Axe, for example, splits the ball into multiples to make targeting easier. Or the Hammer slows down time to help you. The Dual Blades offer targeting assistance.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Creature in the Well 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 3 months ago.