# Animal Well

16 Hacker News commenters recommended Animal Well and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a modern classic with a tiny custom engine, strong visuals and physics. Critics say the base game is too easy and the post-game too cryptic.

## Why people recommend it

- Great game with lots inside (3 comments): "Animal Well is a great game, there's a lot in there" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49503820)) "I'd rather be playing TF2 Classic, or Animal Well" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49221934)) "animal well is such an incredible game" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49503434))
- Tiny 35MB game with custom engine (2 comments): "The whole game and its custom engine are like 35MB and it's filled with really cool visuals and physics powered by fluid equations." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48337641)) "The modern classic, Animal Well, is only 35mb in size!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47658302))
- Modern classic, critically acclaimed (2 comments): "The modern classic, Animal Well, is only 35mb in size!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47658302)) "went on to make the critically acclaimed Animal Well" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49502343))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Outer Wilds](https://hackerapproved.com/p/outer-wilds.md): 65 recommend
- [enclose.horse](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enclose-horse.md): 64 recommend
- [The Witness](https://hackerapproved.com/p/witness.md): 60 recommend
- [Braid](https://hackerapproved.com/p/braid.md): 36 recommend
- [Blue Prince](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blue-prince.md): 30 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Animal Well", https://hackerapproved.com/p/animal-well/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).