Mina the Hollower - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Mina’s path is long and complex, yet satisfying, much like a soulslike. The aesthetics, puzzles, and atmosphere are all there for us to enjoy it as if it were the ’90s, an era that Yacht Club Games manages to represent in the modern age almost perfectly. While the difficulty can be overly demanding at certain points, the game’s length and the charisma it radiates make it one of the GOTY contenders of 2026.

And ultimately it's finding the connections for yourself that makes this game so compelling. I like bosses and combat, but I loved a moment early on where one part of the island dropped me into a taster session of another part, or where I unlocked a train. That train gets at the magic of the game quite brilliantly, actually: it's not just that it's a fast travel system. It's that it's also a freakin' train. When you use it to go anywhere, you get to wander up and down the carriages, investigate, talk to people, and ponder a little more of the world you're in. And sometimes...?

Yacht Club Games’ return bridges the gap between souls-like games and their 2D action-adventure ancestry with enough confidence and energy to instantly become a new indie classic.

Mina the Hollower succeeds because it understands that nostalgia is only valuable when paired with innovation. It borrows inspiration from Zelda, Castlevania, Bloodborne, and countless retro classics, but never loses its own identity in the process. The Hollowing mechanic is brilliant, the world is endlessly rewarding to explore, the bosses are unforgettable, and the presentation perfectly balances retro authenticity with modern craftsmanship. More importantly, it captures the magical feeling of discovery that defined gaming’s earlier generations while remaining unmistakably contemporary. Yacht Club Games built its reputation with Shovel Knight, and with Mina the Hollower, the studio proves that lightning can strike twice.

If modern-day AAAs have left a hole in your life that’s longing to be filled by a retro-revival, Mina The Hollower is for you. It’s also for those who are craving their next gruelling gaming challenge.

Mina the Hollower is one of the best games of the year and one of the standout indie titles of its generation. Its stunning 8-bit graphics conceal a wonderful adventure that keeps you feeling like you're constantly discovering something new.

After a challenging start, Mina the Hollower burrows its way into my all-time indie favorites. Despite its fairly lengthy 25–30 hour runtime, the adventure never feels dragged out, as the game stays fresh from beginning to end thanks to its variety. Practically every aspect of the game reflects the developers’ passion and care for their magnum opus, and above all, Yacht Club Games has avoided gimmickry for gimmickry’s sake – instead, the inventive mechanics and skillfully crafted world complement each other brilliantly. Comparisons to older Zelda titles and Souls games are justified, but a bit tiresome, because Mina the Hollower absolutely has an identity and style of its own despite its influences.

Many people said Shovel Knight was the best NES game released outside the NES; well, Mina the Hollower is the best Game Boy title released outside the Game Boy. It takes the foundations of what made games like the Oracle subseries and Link's Awakening so successful, but adds touches of more modern elements that blend perfectly. It is a package that offers dozens of fun experiences, exploration, discoveries, fascination, and even frustrations, all made with the love of an independent studio for this beautiful form of entertainment.

The Game Boy Color lives again, via an inventive top-down adventure that’s filled with clever design decisions and surprisingly nuanced combat and gameplay.

Mina The Hollower inhabits the confines of a parallel universe; it moves along a track entirely its own, imposing upon itself limitations that, on one hand, grant it an undue advantage—offering the opportunity to resurrect the very best of past classics armed with all the knowledge of the future—yet, on the other, keep it confined within its own small niche. Yacht Club Games has transformed that niche into a cozy den; specializing in the 8-bit aesthetic, they craft extraordinarily challenging video games that are certainly not intended for everyone—yet they do so with an exceptional level of care, leaving absolutely nothing to chance, not a single pixel nor a solitary note of the soundtrack. If you still find yourself longing for those moments when you powered up your Game Boy Color and hours suddenly seemed to slip by like minutes—flinging open windows onto worlds teeming with secrets waiting to be uncovered—then the Isle of Mystery will make you feel right at home; it will put your skills to the test and will undoubtedly find a way to surprise you.

Mina the Hollower is much more than a homage to the classics. It’s a modern reinterpretation that builds on its foundations to create something deeper, more challenging, and highly replayable. Its open world, combat system, and design ensure there’s always something new to discover. Its difficulty and lack of hand-holding may not be for everyone, but that’s precisely where much of its charm lies. It stands out as one of the most essential indie experiences for fans of exploration and well-crafted challenges.

Mina the Hollower is another masterpiece from Yacht Club Games. It’s one of those games that only gets better the more you play it, and considering how enjoyable it is off the hop, that’s really saying something. There is so much to do here, and yet it never feels overwhelming or like it’s stretching the soup too thin. I think the most important thing, something it really nails, is in how satisfying the game feels on a fundamental level. Always a joy, constantly shaking things up, and ever finding new ways to surprise you, Mina the Hollower is a genuine must-play.

Yacht Club Games has successfully made the leap from Mario-inspired side-on platforming to Zelda-style adventure, delivering another retro-styled masterpiece. Mina the Hollower is an intricate, challenging yet accessible adventure packed with content, set against a gorgeous 8-bit gothic backdrop.

A tribute to 8-bit gaming that fuels adventure through frustration and delivers immense fun. It has excellent map design and tons of secrets. Fair combat, and a penalty for failure. Mina expects you to adapt and gives you nothing for free. This is a beauty that is becoming extinct in gaming. It's where Souls-like meets Zelda-like with the effect of becoming one of the best games in 2026.

Mina the Hollower shows that the Yacht Club Games formula can still create a modern retro-tinged masterpiece, as Mina the Hollower stands up there with some of the best 2D Zelda-like games out there. The areas are vibrant and densely populated with secrets. The puzzles are inventive and challenging. The combat stays varied, especially as you discover different weapons, sidearms, and trinkets to make your preferred build. This is a special game that was well worth the long wait. Hopefully Yacht Club Games gets to take this mentality to even more new frontiers in the future.

Mina the Hollower proudly wears its Zelda inspiration on its sleeve, but manages to turn that influence into an adventure with a clear identity of its own thanks to its open world, trinket system, and brilliantly adjustable level of challenge. A hugely addictive adventure that comes remarkably close to excellence as an exploration and dungeon-crawling game.

Overall, Mina the Hollower is a well-designed, retro-inspired game. It demonstrates that Yacht Club Games is about more than just Shovel Knight. It looks more like Zelda than it actually plays, making it a tough outing. Plus, there’s no map (by default). However, the exploration, lore, graphics, and soundtrack make this a fun journey nonetheless. It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for the team, though I imagine that’s a long way off.

Mina the Hollower isn't just a nostalgic throwback to the 2D action games of the Game Boy era; it's an innovative, ambitious attempt at pushing the genre forward while also celebrating the magic of what made those games so special.

Ultimately, everything hits the right chords, making for an exciting game. Mina is adorable and presented as a fun protagonist with all sorts of neat gadgets in her arsenal. The world she inhabits is full of secrets and is a ton of fun to explore. There is a timeless feel to this game, with its homage to games from yesteryear, while also pushing the boundaries of what retro enthusiasts expect from titles that look like this. Thankfully, Mina can be found on most modern consoles and is also reasonably priced. I believe Yacht Club Games hit the nail on the head with this title, and they have once again delivered an all-time classic with Mina the Hollower.

Mina the Hollower is a a robust game that is a joy to play and proves Shovel Knight wasn’t lightning in a bottle for Yacht Club Games. The story is interesting. The heroine is capable. The combat challenges a player and gradually builds up in its demands. The world is strewn with secrets.

Yacht Club has pulled off something special in the way the game responds to your actions, but as usual, the developers have the confidence not to make a big deal out of it.