Doing the Metroidvania very properly.
Why sure, one other Metroidvania is gracing the Nintendo Swap 2. It’s been a reasonably astonishing avalanche of high-quality titles on this style over the previous few years. Ever since Hole Knight and the return of 2D Metroid, it’s been such a pleasure to see different builders reinterpret, add and problem the conventions of the style. Enter Nicely Dweller from Kyle Thompson Video games, which is one other unbelievable sport you must completely not overlook in 2026.
Nicely Dweller sees you enjoying as Glimmer, a hen that lives with their household in a small properly. They could very properly be the final hen household within the kingdom because the merciless queen has ordered all her hunters to seize the birds for his or her feathers to create a costume. However the household wants meals, and the scraps from the hunters must do. Alas, misfortune arrives and Glimmer’s household is taken away. Armed with nothing however a big matchstick, Glimmer units out to rescue their siblings and mom from the clutches of the queen.
At first I used to be type of stunned by Nicely Dweller, however not due to its world design; the presentation is instantly putting. It’s attractive, fairy-tale-like, and instantly distinguishes itself from comparable titles. That is significantly true as a result of the tales which can be instructed are very darkish and dour. The ravaged panorama and scattered teams of critters attempting to outlive are balanced by lovely colours and distinctive areas. However what actually struck me was the pacing. It felt sluggish and unwieldy. For a hen, glimmer feels sluggish and may’t fly or bounce significantly far. It made the opening a bit tough to get by means of.
Sticking with it as I did, Nicely Dweller slowly unravels its intelligent iterations on the Metroidvania. That matchstick isn’t only a melee weapon. It may be shot at partitions to create a bit of platform to extend your bounce. However it could possibly solely be achieved while you’re stationary on stable floor. It makes traversal and platforming much more participating, particularly on condition that utilizing your weapon to combat retrieves the matchstick from mentioned wall. You possibly can see how all these layers stack collectively to create some actually enjoyable platforming challenges. That’s the place the true power of Nicely Dweller is hidden. The extent design is just excellent. At first it could really feel as if the map is incomprehensibly massive and cumbersome to navigate, however the sport flows so naturally that exploration, whether or not it’s for easy development or discovering hidden collectibles, at all times comes naturally. You’re by no means needlessly prodding at partitions to search out obtuse methods to proceed. It made coming again to Nicely Dweller every night time such enjoyable.
Beneath the hood there are some cautious concerns that support its world design. First off are the trinkets. These little collectibles give minor perks to Glimmer. They begin out small, like including a burning impact to your throwable weapon or gaining extra forex from defeated enemies. However the sport solely limits the variety of trinkets you may equip by what number of slots you might have discovered on this planet or purchased from the store. These slots are pretty low cost, which means which you can slowly amass a real armory of trinkets with all their results stacked. The sport additionally means that you can quick journey to any save level at any time. Everytime you’re low on well being or wish to try your new trinkets, you are able to do so immediately and have a tendency to lose solely minimal progress. That will sound a bit like a letdown to hardcore followers, however I feel it’s precisely the factor I used to be lacking from one thing like Silksong. It simply makes exploration a lot extra enjoyable. Add to that the third intelligent addition: the flexibility to buy the situation of secrets and techniques on this planet at your save level. Even whereas these factors are marked, you continue to have to usually overcome a platforming or navigational problem in reaching the key. Better of all? These are all optionally available. If you wish to play it as a real hardcore 2D motion platformer, you positively can.
There may be additionally a stout problem discovered within the boss battles. These scary creatures, usually husks of people or weird transformations of critters, are an absolute spotlight. Their assault patterns are clearly telegraphed and in contrast to many different video games on this style, touching a boss doesn’t inflict harm. Which means the fight actually encourages you to get shut and private in the event you can handle to dodge their incoming assaults. Some aren’t even conventional bosses, however slightly a sequence of escalating platforming challenges. The variability is superb they usually are likely to feed again into the darker storytelling the sport goes for.
Nicely Dweller doesn’t overplay its hand. It could appear incomprehensible at first look, however by means of its considerate design, attractive artstyle and interesting fight it looks like one other a kind of must-play indie Metroidvanias. I’ve but to play Crypt Custodian or Islets, however Kyle Thompson is now completely on my radar as a sport designer. To me, this sport is a shock hidden gem. The whole lot suits collectively so properly (pun meant). In a stacked yr filled with sturdy titles, that is one other contender for my favorites of 2026.
