Well Dweller

Solo developer Kyle Thompson (Crypt Custodian, Islets) has quietly dropped one of the year’s best-reviewed games straight into Game Pass. You play Glimmer, the eldest in a family of birds hiding at the bottom of a well. A queen obsessed with feathered gowns has hunted birds nearly to extinction, and when her hunter carries off your family, a matchstick becomes your sword, your health bar (the flame dims as you take hits) and, later, a slingshot-fired springboard for traversal.

Critics are close to unanimous: a 90 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic with 96% recommending it. Screen Rant (9/10) said it “might be one of 2026's best sleeper hits,” and Worth Playing (9/10) praised “a polished take on the genre.” NoobFeed notes the Hollow Knight influence is obvious early on, but says the game earns its own identity through tight combat, clever traversal and a moody storybook world. It singles out Eric Thompson’s synthy soundtrack and one of the best maps in the genre, with free fast travel that unlocks early.

Combat is simple and dependable: a two-hit combo, a homing flaming bottle you swat at enemies, invincible slides and a timing-based heal that briefly boosts your attack. Trinkets work like Hollow Knight’s charms, and across 15 biomes you pick up bubble jumps, wall climbs, wind riding and the slingshot.

The knocks are small. Screen Rant found the platforming slightly slippery; NoobFeed wanted tougher bosses and one more combat idea, and felt that buying trinket slots cheaply undercuts exploring for them. For about $20, it’s an easy recommendation — and on Ultimate or PC Game Pass it costs nothing extra.