Lost in the twisting tunnels of Animal Well? You’re not alone. This mesmerizing Metroidvania drops you into its mysterious world with no map, no guidance, and only your wits to rely on. But there’s a secret: a hidden map chest that can turn confusion into clarity-if you can brave the early-game puzzles and outsmart a ghostly guardian. Here’s how to track down the map and finally get your bearings, whether you’re playing on Nintendo, PC, or PlayStation.
Where to find the map in Animal Well
In Animal Well, the map is not available from the start and must be unlocked through exploration. To find the map, first obtain firecrackers to defeat the ghost blocking the path in the room to the right of the first save point. After clearing the ghost, use a crank to raise a platform and climb the ladder. Head right to a room with a chest on a platform, which contains the map. Opening this chest will unlock the map, allowing you to see explored areas and important locations. You can open the map by pressing the touchpad (PlayStation) or Select button (other platforms). Additionally, after obtaining the map, you can find stamps in a nearby room to add custom markers for easier navigation.
Just past the first save point, you’ll have to find some firecrackers to get past the ghost guarding the crank. Once it’s dealt with, use the crank to raise the platform, hop across, and climb the ladder. At the top, you can head to the left to fall through a gap to find the unlit candle.
Instead, head to the right. You’ll find a room with a chest containing the map.
How to read the map
Reading the map in Animal Well is essential for navigating the labyrinthine world and uncovering its many secrets. The in-game map provides a detailed overview of the interconnected rooms and pathways you’ve explored, helping you track your progress and plan your next move. As you unlock new areas and solve puzzles, the map updates to reflect your discoveries, making it easier to identify unexplored routes and hidden locations. Pay close attention to icons and markings that indicate important items, puzzles, or locked doors-these cues are invaluable for thorough exploration and backtracking. Mastering how to read the map will ensure you don’t miss any of the game’s 65 eggs, secrets, or post-game content, and will help you solve even the trickiest puzzles as you delve deeper into Animal Well’s mysterious world.
The map is helpful, but it’s really pixelated. There’s some good information on there once you learn to read it.
- Brown vertical lines are ladders
- Pink dots – basically single pixels – indicate fruit. Eating one will restore one heart of your health.
- Magenta blocks are blocked doors – usually with a set of yellow buttons to push to unlock them, but some of them have keys to find
- The yellow telephones (yes, telephones used to look like that) are save points
How to add stamps to your map in Animal Well
After unlocking the map in Animal Well, you can further enhance your navigation by obtaining stamps, which allow you to mark important locations and puzzles directly on your map. To find the stamps, return to the area where you got the map and climb the nearby ladder, then head left past three green penguin statues and use the platforms to reach another ladder. Continue left to enter the Egg Room, where you’ll find a chest on the right side containing the stamps. Once you have them, open your map using the Select button or touchpad (depending on your platform), and press Y (Xbox/Steam Deck), Triangle (PlayStation), or X (Switch) to select and place a stamp anywhere you wish, making it easier to track secrets, puzzles, and areas you want to revisit.
When you climb up from where you found the map, head left. You’ll pass a trio of green penguin statues. Use the platforms in that area to climb up to the ladder above you.
Head left, and you’ll enter a room with four doors that unlock as you collect eggs – but don’t worry about that for now. As soon as you enter, open the chest for stamps. Now, when you open the map, you can hit the Y button to add a stamp to the map with icons for things like chests, hearts, skulls, and more. You can place up to 64 of them.
How can I access the full map in Animal Well on different platforms
To access the full map in Animal Well on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC, you must first locate the in-game map item, which is hidden early in your adventure. Here’s how to unlock it across all platforms:
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From your starting location, head right until you reach the first save point, marked by a telephone.
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Continue right to encounter a blue ghost enemy guarding a crank. You’ll need to defeat this ghost using firecrackers, which you unlock by solving a series of platforming and puzzle challenges involving yellow buttons and hidden paths.
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Once you have firecrackers, defeat the ghost, operate the crank to raise a platform, and climb the ladder on the right.
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Proceed right into a room with squirrel statues and a chest. Open the chest to obtain the map.
After acquiring the map, it will only display areas you have explored, not the entire world at once. You can further enhance your map by collecting “Stamps” in a nearby room, allowing you to mark points of interest for easier navigation.
For those seeking a complete, fully revealed map outside the game, interactive online maps are available (such as MapGenie and IGN’s guide) that display all rooms, collectibles, and secrets for Animal Well on all platforms.
In summary, the process and map features are identical across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and PC. The in-game map gradually fills in as you explore, and online resources can provide a full overview if needed.
What is the exact location to find the map after progressing in Animal Well
The exact location to find the map in Animal Well is as follows:
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From your starting point, head right until you reach the first save point, which is marked by a yellow telephone.
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Continue right to encounter a blue ghost guarding a crank. To proceed, you must first obtain firecrackers by solving a puzzle involving three yellow switches in the rooms to the left and below the save point.
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Once you have firecrackers, return to the ghost, defeat it, and use the crank to raise a platform.
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Climb the ladder to the right of the crank, then proceed right into the next room.
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In this room, you will find a chest on a platform flanked by squirrel statues. Open the chest to obtain the map.
This process is the same regardless of your progress or platform. The map will only reveal areas you have already explored, not the entire world at once.
