After a long, long wait, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched a year ago. And, just like with the first game, developer Team Cherry announced an expansion for it. (We’ll have to wait and see if Silksong‘s upcoming DLC turns into a third Hollow Knight of its own.) There are plenty of challenging Metroidvanias to play while you wait for Silksong‘s Sea of Sorrows expansion, and a new one just dropped Tuesday. Developer Kyle Thompson is back with Well Dweller, a great Metroidvania that any fan of the genre should check out.
Well Dweller stars a tiny bird and his fiery matchstick
In Well Dweller, you play as a bird, Glimmer, living in a kingdom where birds are hunted down on orders from the queen… so she can kill them personally. Glimmer’s family is captured by the hunter, who leaves a menacing “You’re Next” message behind for Glimmer. What’s a bird to do but set off on a fairy-tale adventure to try to save his family?
Though Glimmer is no doubt a cutie — he’s got big, almost googly eyes — the world around him is certifiably not cute. Skeletons dot its landscape, plant life protruding from the hollows where eyes once belonged. Glimmer and his family even live inside of a skull at the bottom of a well.
This is a dark fairy tale, one where gravestones pop up after you defeat a boss. The first boss is The Groundskeeper, a monstrosity with a Joker-like smile that’s just two arms and a head protruding from a circular body. He’s a creep, and the game’s first true challenge. While you’ll likely have no problem with Well Dweller‘s common rabble, its boss fights will pose challenges. Not to worry, however, as Well Dweller gracefully has difficulty options, something we wish Silksong had.
Exploration is just as essential to a Metroidvania, and Well Dweller has plenty of biomes, hidden areas, and shortcuts to explore. Glimmer gradually uncovers new exploration-focused skills, like the ability to use his matchstick as a springboard and the ability to fly on gusts of air.
New Metroidvanias like clockwork
While it feels like some games take ages to come out — like, ya know, Silksong — developer Kyle Thompson puts out a new well-received Metroidvania every two years. Well Dweller is his latest after Sheepo (August 2020), Islets (August 2022), and Crypt Custodian (August 2024). Though they’re all Metroidvanias, they each have a unique identity; if you want something a little more colorful, Islets might be the way to go, while Crypt Custodian is for players who want more games to star charming cats.
Well Dweller is likely a much more bite-sized experience than some Metroidvanias, like Silksong, where you might need 50 hours to scour everything it has to offer. The developer’s previous Metroidvanias all take around eight to 11 hours to finish. Like January’s Mio: Memories in Orbit, Well Dweller won’t wear out its welcome on its way to becoming one of 2026’s must-play Metroidvanias.