New Metroidvania on Steam is basically Silksong meets Little Nightmares, and it's amazingly weird

It can be hard to stand out from the crowd when it comes to being an indie game in this day and age, though Well Dweller is such a wonderfully strange take on the Metroidvania genre that it's hard to ignore. There are tons of great indie Metroidvania to sort through Steambut Well Dweller have managed to find several important ways to differentiate themselves from the usual genre offerings. Steam has been the premiere home for brand new indies to debut for years now, and the options keep getting more inventive and unique as the inspirations bring about unexpected gameplay mash-ups.

Some of the best Metroidvania games of recent years have been found through Steam, but one of the all-time modern greats is undoubtedly Hollow Knight. The long awaited release of its sequel, Silk songwas one of the most exciting moments of 2025, and Well Dweller asking the fun question of what would happen if Hollow Knight games were combined with Little nightmares series.

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Well Dweller Takes Hollow Knight: Silksong's gameplay and combines it with the horrors of Little Nightmares

Players take on the role of Glimmer, an adorable little bird who has taken it upon himself to kill the queen who rules the land and its citizens. Glimmer's journey to destroy the Queen takes him on a treacherous journey filled with monsters, dangerous obstacles, but also plenty of friendly faces simply trying to survive in a kingdom that has fallen into darkness. Well Dweller clearly draws a lot of inspiration from Hollow Knight: Silk Songs gameplay, but the enemy image feels like it was taken straight out of it Little nightmares.

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Well Dweller's key features

CHALLENGING METROIDVANIA COMBAT AND EXPLORATION which takes Glimmer through a series of harrowing encounters and obstacles.
PUZZLES AND SECRETS hidden in the depths of Well Dwellers world that unravels the mysteries of the decaying kingdom.
A POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE SHAPE OF A MATCH which Glimmer must use to defeat the various enemies that block his path.
A DARK WORLD IN NEED OF SAVING from a ruthless queen who did Well Dwellercreates a dark and disturbing nightmare.
CHARMING AND UNIQUE CHARACTERS who helps Glimmer get closer to the queen.
MIX AND MATCH ABILITY AND UPGRADES which allows lots of game customization options for players.
A SUL AND LITTLE HERO which packs a much stronger punch than one would first assume.

Well Dweller teased tons of great features that will make it a fun new Metroidvania game. Whether you're looking for a great puzzle game, a challenging Metroidvania story, or simply want a fresh indie that has a unique identity, Well Dweller has what it takes to appeal to a variety of players. There's enough familiarity to keep it exciting for die-hard Metroidvania fans, but it also remixes its main features in a way that gives the game a sense of novelty.

Well Dweller will also be available on Nintendo Switch at launch, but it's unclear if it will come to other consoles down the road.

Well Dweller's Little Nightmares-inspired art design brings a Tim Burton-esque edge to the Metroidvania genre

When it comes to the friendly NPCs that Glimmer meets along the way, their designs are more reminiscent Hollow Knight: Silk Songs characters. But the main bosses look like a nightmarish mix of Little nightmares and Tim Burton characters. Little nightmares wears its Tim Burton inspiration on its sleeve, and Well Dweller takes that influence even further with its boss designs.

Little Nightmares' Tim Burton-esque spice is the perfect way to enhance a Metroidvania recipe

It's a good design decision for a Metroidvania. The stark difference in character design between friendly NPCs and main bosses helps drive home how ominous monsters rule over Well Dwellers mysterious kingdom is. Each boss has a twisted eerie appearance that contrasts with how adorable Glimmer is. Good character design in games is important, and Well Dweller has excelled in this in the same way as Little nightmares characters do.

Glimmer's journey to destroy the Queen takes him on a treacherous journey filled with monsters, dangerous obstacles, but also plenty of friendly faces…

Little nightmares Bosses are heart-stopping, but the main characters from the three games have all had a much sweeter aesthetic that helps separate them from the horror-soaked world they all live in. The dark, yet strangely sweet mix that Tim Burton helped popularize with his films and artwork. Little nightmares so much more efficient, and Well Dwellers similar opposing energies perfectly demonstrate why this method works so well for the Metroidvania genre.

Well Dweller's story and setting is a heartwarming reminder that darkness can be defeated by the most unlikely of heroes

Glimmer may be small, but his determination and use of his trusty match weapon help him navigate obstacles and dangers. In addition to his own cruelty, the supporting characters he meets on his journey also make this a game about friendship. The full list of characters for Well Dweller hasn't been revealed yet, but there are some adorable NPCs players can expect to meet along the way. Ilda is a little camping-loving mouse trying to escape the queen's control, while Looter is a scavenger who scours the kingdom far and wide to steal the best items available.

In addition to meeting and befriending other NPCs, Glimmer must also try to find and reunite with his missing siblings.

Well Dwell could be one of the biggest indie surprises of 2026

A release date for Well Dweller is being kept under wraps for now, but the game's official Steam page has at least confirmed that the Metroidvania is expected to arrive sometime later this year. There are already so many games coming out in 2026, with one of the obvious heavy hitters GTA 6s release date, so there's plenty to compete with.

The calendar is stacked. Late summer in particular gets full quickly with all the games coming out in September. It's hard to say what a good launcher would be for Well Dwellerbut it hopefully manages to avoid getting lost in the crowd. This Metroidvania looks like a game that has a lot of heart with an excitingly weird world and fun gameplay, so indie lovers should definitely be on the lookout for a release date announcement.