- Publisher: Yacht Club Games
- Release Date: May 29, 2026
- Also On: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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Edge MagazineJun 11, 2026Mina is at its best when it's channelling Zelda, less so when it lens into Soulslike territory or becomes ascetic in its early-'90s sensibilities, trying too hard to retain a link to the past. [Issue#425, p.116]
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May 29, 2026A retro-styled 8-bit action adventure, there's a lot to like about Mina the Hollower if you don't mind a challenge. But unforgiving combat, accessibility options that lock out achievements, and lack of any guidance makes this a more frustrating experience than it should be.
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Jun 1, 2026Mina the Hollower has the weight of expectation upon it, and it's a game that meets many of them. The retro aesthetic is lovely, the world is well made, the boss fights are varied, and there is a lot to find, but it also has its frustrations. Poor navigation is the main factor that sucked some of the enjoyment out, with the game really wanting a better map to aid you. Still, Yacht Club Games has made a good game overall with Mina the Hollower.
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Jun 22, 2026At the end of the day Mina the Hollower is a good game that cannot get out of its own way. I appreciate the inclusion of modifiers so that anyone, regardless of skill level or patience, can experience the game from start to finish. It accomplishes what it sets out to do which is to marry the top-down Zelda experience with the difficulty of a Soulslike. In that respect it is extremely well made and if that sounds like your jam, this could be a game of the year contender for you. For me, I enjoyed my time with it in spite of itself. I’m curious to see where this franchise goes next.
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Jun 2, 2026Yacht Club Games has crafted a masterpiece you must play. [Recommended]
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May 27, 2026Because I will be continuing to play Mina the Hollower. There’s so much I haven’t seen. I’m missing a whole weapon. I still owe that asshole racing ghost a third rematch. I have a leaf funeral to attend. I never figured out what the deal was with the kid and the kite, or how to feed that one guy who wanted to eat acid for some reason. The world is full of mysteries to solve! I was once an eager child who loved to feel like I was going on a real adventure when I started up a new game. And I’ve grown up into an eager adult, perhaps a bit more picky about the adventures I select, but just as happy to be surprised by everything. I never want to grow out of that, and I don’t imagine I will as long as games like Mina the Hollower reflect that love right back at me.
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May 27, 2026Indulge me as I draw one last comparison: You can link Mina the Hollower to UFO 50, too. They’re radically different games (well, one is 50 radically different games in one), but they are both born from the same modern-retro mindset. Derek Yu understands that the magic of an old game is loading into a world you know nothing about and excavating the secrets within it like a treasure hunter. Yacht Club Games gets that too, building a world of glorious discoveries for its rodent hero to unearth. Mina the Hollower is secrets, and secrets are Mina the Hollower.