The Well's Blessing

Game concept

Explore the mystical sanctuary of the Old Well and reconnect with your childhood friends while solving environmental puzzles. Meet quirky animals, unravel forgotten tales and immerse yourself in an interactive soundscape as you piece together your place in the world.

The Well's Blessing is a story-driven, first-person exploration and puzzle game in which three animal-like teenagers embark on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. As they wander through a cozy, retro-stylised open-world environment and take part in several long-forgotten rituals "hidden" in their surroundings, they begin to sense that the sanctuary may have a life of its own.

Key aspects

• Open-ended exploration that externalizes the protagonists’ inner discovery
• Audio-driven (yet accesible!) environmental puzzles “hidden in plain sight” which lead the narrative/character development
• A lighthearted yet introspective coming-of-age adventure around identity
• Interactive soundtrack and stylized retro graphics (+ cute animals)

Synopsis

After a severe fire and a hurried restoration, the Old Well sanctuary finally reopens its doors. Home to the well whose water has long been linked to a series of superstitions about “starting anew,” the natural park’s reopening draws all kinds of anthropomorphic animals who wish to turn their lives around... or simply take a pleasant stroll through nature, far from their daily worries.

The grand opening unexpectedly reunites three teenagers who, despite once being quite close, lost touch after finishing compulsory secondary school. As they get to know each other better and reflect on where their lives are headed, they'll collaborate to reach the Old Well and make a wish.

Protagonists

As their lives drift further apart, three old friends find themselves full of doubts, insecurities and aspirations.

• Kai, a high-school drop-out, is struggling to find a stable job and a sense of belonging after moving out of town.
• Val has just started at a prestigious film school, aspiring to become a world-renowned director.
• Alex is about to take his university entrance exams, still torn between his own dreams and his parents’ expectations.

About the project

The Well's Blessing is currently in development! The full game will be 3–4 hours long, and we're polishing 35-minute demo, which premiered at this year's Now Play This experimental game design festival. We'll be showcasing the demo at several more events throughout the year, so stay tuned!

Originally conceived as Gerard's solo-dev Final Degree Project in Audiovisual Communication at Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona), The Well's Blessing is supported by the PowerUP+ acceleration program and ARSENAL's GAMEPLAY university incubation program for alternative videogames. Since then, BIG STRETCH was founded alongside new creatives:

• Gerard San Miguel (adpa): direction, game/narrative/UI & UX design, art, programming
• Tancla: music and audio design
• Oscar Garcia: 3D art
• Pepe Pintado: programming
• Ignacio Calles: production

Collaborators:

• Roland Sierra (Delta): writing support
• Alex Baciu (Zoot): writing support
• Aina Serra: concept and 2D art support
• Mikel Dopacio: art support
• Gabi San Miguel: writing support
• Kat Gutierrez: programming support
• Niksansa: playtesting

Join our discord community to follow our journey and stay up to date with the latest news!

You can also find us on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok ^^

Covering the game in any way? Check out our press kit for info, screenshots, key art, etc. for your post, video or article!

While you're at it, you can also give us a wishlist on Steam, hehe. That helps a ton!