a common refrain among Games People is that gameplay is paramount to a title's success and should always be placed first at the expense of everything else. I'm not so shortsighted as to think there's no merit to this line of thinking, at least in that developers should understand their priorities for the health of their game. it's understandable why this idea has gotten so popular in opposition to the Grafiks Craze of the '10s, because that method of advertising and understanding games is actually even worse. however, Animal Well is not a game that puts gameplay first. it is blisteringly obvious when you play it that the bulk of the developers' passion went into the art, animation, and sound design, culminating in an incredibly memorable journey. I had a ton of fun with this one even if I was a little too stupid for all the puzzles. I certainly won't be 100%ing it, but the sights and sounds of the ending especially will stick in my mind for quite a while.