Kyle Thompson Metroidvania Well Dweller Launches on Nintendo Switch

Well Dweller is available now for the Nintendo Switch. Developed by Kyle Thompson and published by Top Hat Studios, the title joins an oversaturated Metroidvania genre while carving out its own identity through specific design choices.

Set in a bleak kingdom ruled by a tyrant Queen, the story follows a bird named Glimmer whose family is captured by the Queen's minions. Armed with only a matchstick, Glimmer must traverse the map to find seven golden feathers and rescue the family before they face a grim fate. The narrative takes a backseat after its opening act, leaving room for self-contained side stories and worldbuilding.

Exploration forms the core of the experience, featuring a massive interconnected map filled with dead ends and paths that loop back on themselves. Unlike many games in the genre, Well Dweller omits the double jump ability entirely. Traversal relies instead on upgrading core movement tools, such as impaling the matchstick into walls to gain height and climbing for limited periods. Tents serve as rest stops for saving, upgrading tools, and fast traveling across the map.

Combat features recognizable enemy attack patterns and resource rewards used for purchasing items and map markers. Boss encounters lean into an unsettling visual aesthetic with stop-motion style movement. Precision platforming remains minimal, shifting the primary focus toward room-by-room puzzle solving and map navigation.