ANIMAL WELL isn’t your average Metroidvania. After finishing the main story, the game becomes less of a standard puzzle game and more of a mind-bending augmented reality game — with puzzles that become increasingly complex as you claw ever closer to the final secrets of the game. Many of those deep dark secrets can only be unlocked with the Animal Flute, which is an optional item you’ll earn by collecting eight hidden eggs.
There are two collectibles you’ll need to solve the final mysteries of ANIMAL WELL — Eggs and Bunnies, and both are often only available thanks to the Animal Flute. The Animal Flute can also be used to fast-travel, unlock special cages, reach secret areas, and so much more. To make your life easier, we’re going to run down all the Flute Songs we’ve found so far. There are lots of them — and some are ridiculously complicated.
Beware, there are going to be big spoilers ahead. One of the code combinations will literally unlock the final area of the game — if you’ve found all the Eggs. Let’s get started.
All Flute Code Combinations
The Animal Flute is an optional item that is NOT REQUIRED to complete a standard run — but is very useful for the ability to fast-travel. One of the first tricks you’ll learn is how to fast-travel. You’ll find directions, faces, numbers and other symbols to decipher different codes. While we won’t fully explain the codes here — some are almost impossible to figure out on your own — we will try to explain what each code is for and how to use it.
Fast Travel Room: → → ← ← ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑
Play this to teleport to a central hub where you can access animal-shaped tubes. You can use this code at any time — the tubes make travelling the map much easier. You’ll be able to unlock additional tubes later by inputting the next codes on the list.
Flame Statue Room: → ↑ ↗ ↑ ↓ ← ↙ ↓
Use this code to return to the center of the map — the room at the bottom of the central well. This is where you’ll need to deposit the four flames to unlock the final area of the map. This code returns you to the middle of the map. You’ll find the clue before completing the game.
Square Cat Cage: ↘ ← ↗ ↘ →
2 Horizontal Lines Cat Cage: → ↗ ↑ ↖ ↓
Cross / X Cat Cage: ↖ ↖ ↙ ↙ ↓
Corner Square Cat Cage: ← ↓ ↙ ↘ ↑
2 Vertical Lines Cat Cage: ↘ ↑ ↘ ↘ ←
Located in the Ostrich Area — there are five cats locked in hanging cages. To free them, play the notes with the matching symbol. Above the cages you’ll find two symbols. Those symbols appear in hidden spots in the Ostrich Area. Unlock all five then use the Spinning Top item to unlock the Lynx Room. The room is up the ladder from the temple entrance and to the right. If you saved the cats, the lynx sings a song that opens the final cage which contains the Wheel item.
Wellhead: ↘ ↖ ↘ ↖ ↘ ↖ ↘ ↖
The top of the well is normally accessed after defeating the last encounter. Past the apartment, you’ll find a clock, a strange portal and the wellhead. This is the top of the well. Dropping down will return you to the center of the map. To skip straight to this area, input this flute code.
Fast Travel Secret Room: → ↑ ← ↓ ← ↓ ← ↓
There’s an additional hidden room you can unlock in the fast travel area. This is a post-game section you can reach early if you know the code. One of the bunnies will reveal this optional code.
Egg Room True Ending:
- ↖ ↓ → ↓ ↖ – ↓ → ↓ ↖ ↙ – ↘ ↙ ↖ ↙ ↘
- ↙ ↗ ← ↓ ← – ↗ ← ↓ ← ↑ – ← ↘ ← ↑ ←
- ↘ ← ↖ ↓ → – ↓ ↖ ↓ → ↓ – ↖ ↙ ↘ ↙ ↖
- ↙ ↘ ↙ ↖ ↗ – ↖ ↙ ↗ ↑ ← – ↓ ↑ ↖ ↙ ←
- ↑ ↖ ← ↖
The Egg Room is to the left of the center of the map — a large optional room where all the eggs you find will be stored. Late in the game, you’ll unlock the UV Lamp item. Using it in the Egg Room will reveal strange symbols on all the eggs you’ve found so far. If you find all 64 you’ll see that they spell out a hidden song. You can find more clues with the UV Lamp in a translation room near the Manticore arena. Playing all these notes after finding the eggs will teleport you to the True Ending area.
Duck Figure: → ← ↖ ↓ ↙ → ↙ ←
Play to collect the Duck Figure item. Gets added to your inventory automatically. Appears on the shelf of the apartment you’ll reach at the end of the normal game. Look on the shelf above the television! It’s just a cute duck figure.
Duck Mural: ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ← → ← →
Play this flute song at that Duck Mural on the map. You’ll complete a hidden puzzle and find a secret bunny. The bunnies are required to unlock the secret ending — finding all the bunnies reveals a hidden path in the final area where you can take control of the Manticore.
Ghost Bunny: ↑ ↗ → ↘ ↓ ↙ ← ↖ ↑
Near the start of the map, play this song to defeat the ghost that spawns. There’s no candle here — the only way to defeat it is by playing the flute clockwise. This is right near where you encounter the first ghost in the game.
Beginning Bunny: → ↓ ← ↑ → ↓ ↖ ↗ → ↓ ← ↑ ↘ ↙ ↖ ↗
There’s an incredibly complex puzzle at the start of the game. Where you start, look at the sparkles in the starting area — these give you flute direction clues. But you’ll need to check three separate game files to get all the pieces of the puzzle. Luckily the code is the same every time. Play it in the starting room to find another bunny.
Apartment TV Bunny: ↗ ↖ ↙ ↘ ↑ ← ↓ →
After defeating the Manticore at the end of the game, you’ll reach the Apartment. Use the Remote to change the TV channel and see different faces — an earlier translation room shows which direction all the faces correspond to. Input the correct tune on the Flute and you’ll get a bunny out of the TV.
Origami Bunny: → ↗ ↑ ← ↖ ↑ ← ↓
A ridiculously secret pair of bunnies are summoned by inputting this flute song. You can get the song by printing out an Origami Bunny from a computer or by translating the barcode on the bowl-shaped object in the Dog Area, down and to the right from the bear fast-travel tube. You can figure out the complicated solution yourself or just play the notes.
Vines Bunny: → ↗ → ↓ → ↙ ↙ →
Go to the Vine Room with the Chinchilla in the lower-right corner of the Dog Area — accessible through the Bear Tube. In this spot, play a song to get another bunny. This is one of the more ridiculous puzzles. On PC, you can help the Chinchilla by literally moving the shrunken game window. Very weird.
Statue Dots Bunny: ↖ ↑ ↘ ↓ ↙ ↓ ← ↓
All over the map, you’ll encounter small statues with dots. These dots correspond to directions on the Animal Flute — finding clues is relatively easy, but finding all the statues with dots is really tricky. If you find them all and line them up, you’ll get this code.
Fish Mural Bunny: ← ← ↘ → ↗ ← ← ↗
At the room with the huge fish mural. If you use the UV Lamp you’ll see directions marked in the mural. Just follow those directions and play the tune to get another hidden bunny.
And that’s all the possible Flute Codes you can find and play in ANIMAL WELL — a few of them are useful, a lot of them are required for the super secret ending — and one gets you a Duck Figurine. What’s not to love? We’ll continue to search for secrets in one of the weirdest games of 2024, so check back for more soon.
