
Play as Alice who has just had an unsettingly life-like dream about the end of the world, and is retelling it to her friend. A single play-through might take as little as 20 minutes, but experiencing all the possible paths Alice can take through the ruins of her city will take you many hours.
Revenue comes from in-game items and microtransactions, which our price-based model doesn't estimate. Copies below reflect the player base, not paid sales.
Media

About
Genres
Stats
Languages: English
Engagement
Reviews
Themes across 40 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
Reviews
A well written Visual Novel with some gameplay elements, like customizing your character and your beginning loadout, to survive the impending nuclear attack. You can finish a playthrough in about 25-30 minutes, but to survive you will have to play the game multiple times and do different things to figure out what to do in the final confrontation. I liked most of the game but the fact that gathering the necessary intel [spoiler](the numbers)[/spoiler] felt random and the "Skip" button skips all of the text unlike other Visual Novels that only skips the unseen text, makes you accidentally skip some text unintentionally. So I had to manually advance some of the text to make sure I was not skipping any necessary info. For a free game though, it was still a quite good experience, recommended if you like Visual Novels and/or apocalypse themes, 7/10
[h3][b]The Bottom of the Well – A Dream of Doom and Choices[/b][/h3] This game hit me in a way I didn’t expect. It’s a visual novel, sure, but it doesn’t play like your typical narrative adventure. You’re thrown into a scenario where the world is about to end — a full-on apocalyptic fever dream — and it’s all based on your choices. But here’s the kicker: it’s presented as a lucid dream, where you wake up knowing exactly when the end will come. That concept alone intrigued me. It’s not about stopping the apocalypse but figuring out what you’d do with the time you have left. The tension between dream and reality is what makes this game stand out. [hr][/hr] [h3][b]Gameplay & Mechanics[/b][/h3] The game is a mix of visual novel storytelling and interactive decision-making. You play as Alice, a young woman who experiences a vivid, prophetic dream about the apocalypse. You wake up, and now it’s on you to decide how to spend your remaining days before everything goes to hell. The gameplay revolves around branching choices. You get a few days to prepare — stockpiling food, gathering supplies, making alliances, or even just spending time reflecting on life. Every decision affects the outcome. But don’t expect any hand-holding. The game doesn’t spell out which choices are "right" or "wrong." Sometimes, you’ll make what feels like the best decision, only to have it backfire spectacularly. And that’s life, isn’t it? The game makes you think about survival, human nature, and priorities when everything is crumbling. It’s less about the apocalypse itself and more about how people react to it. What do you value most? Who do you trust? [hr][/hr] [h3][b]Story & Characters[/b][/h3] The story feels personal. Alice isn’t a superhero or some chosen one. She’s just someone trying to make sense of a surreal experience. She’s relatable in a way that many game protagonists aren’t. Her reactions to the looming end feel grounded — panic, confusion, moments of calm acceptance. The other characters you interact with are varied, though they can come off as archetypal. You’ll meet conspiracy theorists, survivalists, and regular folks just trying to get by. The game taps into different reactions to disaster — some people become more selfish, others more altruistic. [hr][/hr] [h3][b]Atmosphere & Music[/b][/h3] Now, here’s where the game really shines. The atmosphere is phenomenal. The art style is minimalist but striking. It gives off a hand-drawn, indie vibe that works perfectly for the dream-like setting. But the piano music? Beautiful and haunting. It sets the tone perfectly, making you feel like you’re trapped in a surreal, inevitable march toward doom. The music isn’t just background noise; it carries the emotional weight of the story. The piano compositions are melancholic yet calming, like the game itself is telling you to accept the inevitable. [hr][/hr] [h3][b]The Deeper Meaning[/b][/h3] At its core, [i]The Bottom of the Well[/i] is a meditation on fate, control, and human resilience. It’s about how we cope with the idea that something bigger than us can wipe everything away. The game doesn’t give you a neat resolution — there’s no magic solution to stop the apocalypse. Instead, it’s about the journey, about making choices that reflect who you are in the face of an unstoppable force. There’s something profoundly human about that. It reminded me of the concept of [i]memento mori[/i] — the reminder of death’s inevitability and the importance of living meaningfully. [hr][/hr] [h3][b]The Game’s History[/b][/h3] Developed by [b]Fell Tree Games[/b], [i]The Bottom of the Well[/i] is a small indie project that didn’t get much mainstream attention. But it doesn’t need it. Games like this live on through word of mouth, through players who appreciate something more introspective. The title is a reference to [b]Lewis Carroll’s [i]Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland[/i][/b]. The protagonist, Alice, mirrors her namesake in a way. She falls down a metaphorical well — into the depths of a dream that reflects the chaos of the waking world. [hr][/hr] [h3][b]Final Thoughts[/b][/h3] I genuinely liked this game. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s an experience more than a game, something that sticks with you after you close it. The atmosphere, the piano music, and the existential questions it raises all make it memorable. It’s the kind of game you play when you’re in a reflective mood, when you want something more thoughtful than action-packed. If you’ve ever wondered how you’d face the end of the world, this game gives you a chance to explore that in a meaningful way. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, but with a caveat — this isn’t for people looking for fast-paced gameplay or clear-cut resolutions. It’s for those who appreciate introspection, atmosphere, and narrative-driven experiences. And hey, it’s free. What have you got to lose?
Related
Related
Trends
Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Hours played at review time, across 40 reviews with recorded playtime.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
for free overall alright.
Review after 100% ♡♡♡ I live, I die, I live again! ⣴⣿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣼⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣤⣤⣶⣶⣿⣿⡗ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠀ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃ ⣿⣿⡇⠜⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀Got a cat here ⣿⣿⣿⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⡹⠙⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀ Friends passing ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣾⣿⣿⠛⠀⠀by can touch her ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⠁⠀⠀and click Like to pet ♡ ⣿⣿⡿⠻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠛⠹⠑⠀⠀ Award for good luck, Take My Points for infinite pets ♡ ⠟⠁⠀
[h1] [/h1]
i like the music in this game. story is nice.
Very good. Enjoyed a lot :)
Thumbs up!
hyina
This is the weirdest adaptation of Alice in Wonderland I've ever seen... if you can call it an adaptation. Regardless, it's an interesting exploration of the beginnings and fallout of nuclear war, how the struggle to survive affects human nature, and how we can change the world through our actions to prevent such a horrible future. It's a visual novel, but also briefly includes elements of point accumulation and puzzle solving. There are plenty of branching paths to explore depending on what you choose to prioritize. It's easy to die, but the game rewards multiple playthroughs. The music is perfectly fitting for the story. Achievements aren't too difficult to get. Please play this game. It really does deserve the overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Momentum
Pace estimated from the game's recent review growth (our daily snapshots) at its own sales-per-review ratio — a momentum signal, not booked sales.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.