Animal Well was only on my radar because the trailer convinced me it was flirting with horror, similar to the unsettling undertone in Undertale. Challenging Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest both host disorientating labyrinths and ruthless bosses which are echoed in this underground graveyard of ghoulish creatures. Sure, the Ostrich’s head can stretch after you like a snake, and the feather-spread Peacock certainly triggered my childhood fear of them, but nothing compares to the Ghost Dog.

Created by solo developer Billy Basso and the team at Shared Memory, this underrated indie gem follows a little yellow blob on its travels through an overgrown, neon-lit network of haunted terrains. Each section is filled with stellar puzzles to solve, secrets to discover, and a host of wildlife to become acquainted with. While the deer and crows were often majestic and relatively friendly, other bosses quickly aired the creepier side of gameplay, and a few of these enemies clearly came from the mind of a psychopath – in the nicest way possible.

Beware The Ghost Dog’s Howl

You encounter the Ghost Dog fairly early on in Animal Well after taking a disc from the Dog Shrine, and even though the eerie music has already set the surreal tone of the game, nothing quite prepares you for what floats on the screen. The first of many Ghost Dogs manifests out of frame and proceeds to chase you into other rooms and the levels beyond quite relentlessly. It’s the epitome of the indie’s underlying dance with something sinister, and the phantom encounters have the chilling potency to haunt your psyche for days to come.

The Ghost Dog itself is nothing like the friendly, furry companions that brighten our world. The dogs in Animal Well are, in fact, too friendly, in the sense that they follow you everywhere in a trance-like gallop. The white dog’s face is painted with a permanent grin and its eyes are filled with fire when it closes the distance between itself and the blob. If its weightless traversal and CreepyPasta-worthy expression weren’t enough to turn your blood cold, the constant, echoing howling that plagues the dog’s every appearance is enough to disturb the strongest mind.

Thankfully, there are a few maneuvers to get this hound off your back, including maintaining a fast pace through obstacles to place the disk back in the shrine to free the Dog’s spirit, and avoiding the specter’s head, as that part deals the damage. Its incessant wailing is designed to deplete your composure, and its face is rather hypnotic, albeit terrifying, intended to distract your eyes from the path ahead and ensure you lose your footing. However, the relief you feel after its theme desists is euphoric and only emphasizes the overbearing effect it has on your sanity.

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Ghost Dog Even Beats The Manticore’s Unholy Abomination

It may surprise Animal Well fans to see the Ghost Dog being mentioned as a shoo-in for the scariest boss of the year, when there’s the game’s final boss to consider. The Manticore certainly raises some eyebrows, bearing a glowing, wide-eyed stare and carrying the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the venomous tail of a scorpion. That certainly sounds more nightmarish than a ghostly dog, right? Visually, you could argue that The Manticore is an unholy abomination and worthy of taking the crown over the Ghost Dog. However, the alarm-styled theme is nothing like the dog’s howl that comes in tortuous waves and The Manticore’s design is more comical than sleep-robbing.

Alongside creating a contender for creepiest video game boss of 2024, Animal Well is getting rave reviews across the board – including our own review awarding the indie a 9.2 out of 10 score – for its clever puzzles, intricate, hidden details that enhance the world-building, and the pixel art that harnesses the game’s deceiving adorable side that lets the unnerving nostalgia creep in. Some have even dubbed the indie a masterpiece, and while I can appreciate the craft of the game’s level design, Animal Well’s true magic for me lies in its ability to create an unsettling atmosphere in an otherwise cute Metroidvania. By releasing this Ghost Dog into the wild, Cujo is even paling in comparison.

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