Game Review: ‘Mina The Hollower’ Burrows Into Greatness
Back in 2014, the indie gaming scene changed with the release of publisher Yacht Club Games’ now-hit game Shovel Knight. That game was originally funded during the rise of the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. While that game had some development delays, it was very successful. It established exactly what Yacht Club Games was capable of, even if it took years to fulfill all the promises and goals for that crowdfunding campaign. Despite having issues with the campaign for the previous game, they were able to deliver something fantastically fun, making it an established name within both the indie game scene and earning mainstream praise. Yacht Club Games has taken everything they learned from the development of their previous titles and is now giving us Mina the Hollower.
When I first heard of Mina the Hollower, I thought there was no way Yacht Club Games could top my love for Shovel Knight, which I both love and adore. I must report that I am both delightfully surprised and relieved that my worries were for nothing. Mina the Hollower isn’t flawless, but what there is nothing short of fantastic.
While I will admit I struggled with portions of this game, there are many other games that are missing the greatness that this one has in multitudes. I truly believe that the development team has another hit on their hands, because the anticipation for this game has never been higher than it is now.
Before playing this game, the only things I knew about Mina the Hollower was that this was Yacht Club Games’ next ambitious attempt at having another hit game and that this would be a top-down perspective-based game. I knew about its Kickstarter campaign, and over the years I watched as many trailers as possible in anticipation for its eventual launch.
Over time, as the game went on without a release date, I had almost forgotten that this was going to be coming out. Part of it falling off my radar for some time allowed me to experience the joy all over again when Yacht Club Games finally cemented the release date.
Mina the Hollower will be releasing on May 28, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Linux, MacOS, and PC, all of which the last three options can be purchased directly through Steam, GOG, or the Humble Store.
Mina the Hollower: Welcome to Tenebrous Isle
The beginning of Mina the Hollower almost feels cliché to a point, starting the events of the game with a ship crashing onto the shoreline of the expansive Tenebrous Isle. While at first I was surprised by this, I am certain that this is an homage to the original The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the Nintendo Game Boy. Much like that game, you’ll be exploring different regions of this island.
When you get your bearings, you will eventually make your way to the city of Ossex, the main hub in which you’ll be coming back to throughout your playthrough. Tenebrous Isle has six distinctive regions, ranging from a swampy area, a land stuck in the season of Autumn, a frozen trainyard, and several others. My personal favorite area is Queensbury Crypt. I love the colors, the music, and the whole creepy environment in this area.
After speaking to the regal Lionel, the leader of Ossex, you are tasked with the main objective: restore power to the Spark Generators that are spread across the island. This is easier said than done, as you can’t simply waltz your way into the massive dungeons this game has laid out.
There is so much to explore on the island, each with their own paths and secrets to discover. The game’s areas can almost be done in any order you please, but be mindful that depending on your level of skill and preparedness, areas will vary in difficulty. The freedom to choose where you go is up to you.
I am absolutely certain I did the easiest area last, but that’s totally subjective depending on your own playstyle. Two of the areas, however, are gated by progression tasks, and you will need to restore every Spark Generator to access the final sequences of the game.
Mina the Hollower’s story is serious and dark, and with that being reflected in the game’s world, you’ll come to respect. Rest assured though that there are many instances of reprieve from this theme. You’ll meet all sorts of characters, from ordinary citizens to the rich, to the less fortunate, and others that all hail from different backgrounds. Each individual you talk to has their own personality and adds a nice flavor of storytelling as events unfold, allowing the game to get its hooks deeper into you.
There are moments that are tastefully funny without detracting from the thematic tone of the game. Some of these interactions you’ll have with NPCs across Tenebrous Isle include everything from jokes, hilarious scenarios, and other sorts of hijinks.
Just like their previous game, the development team are masters of storytelling and dialogue. You’ll understand everyone’s motives and personalities by what they say and how they speak. There is a variety of backstories, side-quests, and other optional dialogue that you’ll experience here in Mina the Hollower. I know for a fact that even in my 16 hours of playtime that I did not interact with every character, every enemy, or vendor that this game has to offer.
It is astounding how many main and side story events that the team was able to pack into this game. Even now as I write this review, I am already thinking about everything I missed and what I want to go back for.
The combination of classic and modern gameplay
The gameplay in Mina the Hollower outshines everything else in this already wonderful title, which speaks volumes for an already excellent game. You’ll end up choosing a starting weapon, and if you’re like me you’ll end up preferring that weapon for the first couple of hours of gameplay.
It’s important to quickly become familiar with that particular weapon because this game is difficult. Enemies will come at you fast, and if you’re not quick on your feet, they will absolutely destroy you with ease, at least until you learn how to better handle them and upgrade your abilities.
If we were to ignore the combat, the game still has many other quality aspects. This game is absolutely packed with multiscreen puzzles that will really put your brain to work. Most of the time you’ll be digging, here called Hollowing, into the ground and doing some tricky top-down platforming.
The way to level up your stats is by defeating every enemy that comes across you and earning the game’s equivalent of both experience points and currency, here called Bones. For leveling up your attack, defense, sidearm strength and for storing bones in what is essentially a bank, you’ll need to reach the target score on the bottom right of your screen. This is reminiscent of how Zelda II: Adventure of Link worked on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
In addition, there is a risk of losing your bones upon death. This loss of bones will only happen if you’ve died, losing what is called a spark. If you die upon trying to retrieve the spark, then your bones will be lost. This mechanic of losing what you’ve earned is very similar to games in the Souls-like genre. These bones are also vital in purchasing trinkets, keys, and one tier of weapon upgrades.
While I leaned heavily in using the weapon that is a mace with a chain attached, known as the Nightstar, I also played around with the Blaststrike Maul (hammer) and the Whisper and Vesper (daggers). While I didn’t really use the other two weapons (a blaster and a shield with a bash attack), I did seek all five weapons and their subsequent upgrades.
I can say honestly that during my first playthrough I did not try to find every treasure; I still felt compelled to at least get my weapons maxed out in case I wanted to try a different playstyle, as the game can be difficult without the right strategy.
Now, full disclosure, I struggled with the game’s seemingly sudden difficulty curve, but I will chalk that up to growing pains with learning how to approach the game properly. If you’re like me and the game still feels too difficult, or you find it too easy, Mina the Hollower comes with modifiers to change the way the game plays.
For example, I did have to rely on some assist modifiers, thus making the game easier for my playthrough. Enabling assist modifiers will disable the ability to complete the in-game feats, which happen to be connected to achievements. Be aware that using these assisting features will disable achievements for that profile and cannot be undone unless you play a profile without the assists.
Retro-inspired aesthetics in Mina The Hollower
I truly believe that both the art and sound direction of Mina the Hollower are perfect. While the game takes an 8-bit approach for the game’s design, it maintains that classic feel while also feeling modern. I’ve played numerous games for the 8-bit Game Boy and Game Boy Color handhelds of the 1990s, and Mina the Hollower really stands among the giants. Clearly this game takes inspiration for its aesthetic from Nintendo’s own top-down 8-bit classic Zelda games, but it’s also its own thing. There are flavors of Metroidvania games present here, plus the battles against enemies and bosses will feel like they’ve come directly out of a Souls-like game.
You’ll quickly notice how colorful this game is. Every single screen is vibrant, every area has a unique color palette, and even the paths to the main areas are flourishing with life and brilliant art direction. This is one of the great things about gaming is that there are so many creative choices that go into designing a game.
Yacht Club Games could have gone all out with every single color combined at once on each screen; however, going with a limited color selection per area not only shows artistry but also restraint. While the colors of each area blew my mind, I was most impressed with the Septemburg section of the game. This biome really embraces the autumn aesthetic, and each time I entered the area, I was awed by its beauty.
Lastly, I must make a special mention of the game’s soundtrack. Jake Kaufman returns to do this game’s music, along with two tracks composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro. I’m not exactly sure what two tracks that Yuzo Koshiro did, but every single song on the soundtrack is perfect. I already know I’m going to spend many hours listening to the OST when it inevitably gets released. In between gameplay sessions to better prepare myself to write this review, many of the game’s tracks would get stuck in my head and I’d catch myself humming along to the tunes. The soundtrack is truly magnificent.
Final thoughts on Mina the Hollower
There are so many other surprises that I am intentionally leaving out of this review because I don’t want to fully spoil any of the moments or revelations that players may encounter during their time with this game. What I can say is that I truly enjoyed my time with Mina the Hollower.
I’m not sure if I am ready to head into New Game Plus just yet, but my goodness, when I do, it’s going to be easier for me. I have a pretty good grasp on the combat mechanics, and I am pretty sure I can handle almost any puzzle the game throws at me, even if I do fail from time to time. I ended my first playthrough with only 57% item completion and I’m itching for that 100%.
My rating for this game is: 4/5
Mina the Hollower is a game that is close to perfect, and I absolutely believe it will go down as one of the greatest indie games of all time. I know that I, personally, struggled with some harder moments of the game, but I am glad that Yacht Club Games placed the difficulty where it is. Would I want the game to be easier? Sure, but it’s not a make-or-break scenario for me.
Of course, holding out for post-launch game balances are possible, I just hope that if changes are made that the developer won’t change the core gameplay loop. This game is exceptionally well made, and I can safely say that it was worth the wait.
Also check out our many other game reviews available in the GAMING archive!
