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Mina The Hollower Earns Critical Acclaim, Becomes Highest-Rated Game

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3 months ago
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SummarySYNTHESIZED

Yacht Club Games' new action RPG, Mina The Hollower, has garnered widespread critical acclaim. It masterfully blends classic Zelda-like exploration with challenging Souls-like combat and a unique burrowing mechanic. The game has achieved a Metascore of 93, making it the highest-rated game of 2026 so far.

Coverage across 22 outlets

27 articles
Game Critics

Mina The Hollower Review

Mina The Hollower is a gripping action-adventure game featuring beautiful pixel graphics and satisfying gameplay. However, the lack of a tutorial makes key mechanics unclear, and a significant difficulty spike near the end nearly halted the reviewer's progress.

The Box Hub

Mina the Hollower Review | TheXboxHub

Mina the Hollower is a retro-inspired 8-bit platformer that blends Zelda and Bloodborne elements with a unique burrowing mechanic. While it features a steep initial difficulty curve and some frustrating design choices like aggressive enemies and flying bosses, the game offers satisfying combat, deep mechanics, and a vibrant adventure for fans of challenging top-down games. It provides around 20 hours of playtime for a single playthrough.

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Pure Nintendo

Review: Mina the Hollower (Nintendo Switch 2)

Mina the Hollower is a retro-inspired action RPG from Yacht Club Games, featuring a top-down perspective reminiscent of classic Zelda titles. The game presents a challenging experience with over 1,200 handcrafted screens, a unique tunneling mechanic, and a deep customization system through trinkets. Despite a lack of an in-game map by default and a steep learning curve, its charming graphics, engaging exploration, and robust design make it a standout title for the Nintendo Switch.

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FZ.se

Recension – Mina the Hollower

Mina the Hollower is a challenging and visually stunning action RPG from Yacht Club Games, drawing inspiration from classics like The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania, with modern influences from Bloodborne. The game features deep gameplay mechanics, tough boss battles, and a rich atmosphere, but also includes accessibility options and unlockable "Feats" for players to customize their experience. It is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

Gaming On Linux

Mina the Hollower is another absolute gem from Yacht Club Games

Mina the Hollower is a retro-styled pixel-art action-adventure game from Yacht Club Games, known for the Shovel Knight series. The game features challenging gameplay inspired by classics like Zelda and Castlevania, with modern touches and extensive accessibility options. It was successfully funded on Kickstarter and includes native Linux support.

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The Sixth Axis

Mina the Hollower Review

Mina the Hollower is a retro-style action-adventure game from Yacht Club Games that blends classic 8-bit aesthetics with Zelda-like exploration and combat. While it offers engaging gameplay and a detailed world, the review notes some frustrating design choices, including punishing difficulty spikes, inconvenient weapon switching, and a lack of a detailed in-game map that can hinder progression.

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Push Square

Review: Mina the Hollower (PS5) - Masterpiece for Many, But Not for Me

Yacht Club Games' Mina the Hollower blends Zelda-like exploration with Souls-like mechanics, offering a challenging experience for fans of both genres. While the game is crafted with care, its demanding combat and punishing death mechanics may not appeal to all players. The title features extensive customization options, allowing players to tailor the difficulty and gameplay to their preferences.

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Blues News

Game Reviews

Reviews for Arcadia Fallen II and Mina the Hollower have been released. Arcadia Fallen II is described as Christ-centered, while Mina the Hollower is praised for its intricate 8-bit beauty.

Eurogamer

Mina the Hollower review - intricate 8-bit beauty that combines Zelda, Bloodborne and more into something genuinely special

Mina the Hollower is a special 8-bit adventure game that masterfully blends elements from The Legend of Zelda and Bloodborne with its own unique mechanics. Developed over six years by Yacht Club Games, the game features intricate level design, challenging combat, and a deep world filled with secrets. Its design encourages players to meticulously track clues and utilize a variety of gadgets and upgrades to overcome obstacles and enemies.

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Gaming Bolt

Mina the Hollower Review – Don’t Dig Straight Down

Mina the Hollower is a retro-inspired action-adventure game from Yacht Club Games that blends classic mechanics with modern design, though it can be unforgiving at times. The game features a charming 8-bit aesthetic, intriguing narrative, and varied environments, but suffers from some tedious level design and an awkward healing system. Despite its flaws, the game offers satisfying combat and exploration, making it a compelling experience for fans of the genre.

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Expert Game Reviews

Yacht Club Games Delivers a Retro Masterpiece – Expert Game Reviews

Mina the Hollower, the latest ambitious title from Yacht Club Games, is a top-down 2D action-adventure with a Game Boy Color aesthetic, drawing inspiration from classic Zelda and Castlevania titles. The game features a unique burrowing mechanic, a deep trinket system, and a smart twist on the Soulslike death mechanic, offering exceptional replayability and value at $19.99.

Blues News

Mina the Hollower Reviews

Reviews for the action-adventure game Mina the Hollower, developed by Shovel Knight creator Yacht Club Games, are now available ahead of its release. The game has achieved a Metascore of 92.

Shack News

Mina the Hollower review: Mouse on haunted hill

Mina the Hollower is a charming and challenging adventure game that excels in its music, art, and gameplay. The title offers a delightful and surprising experience for players.

Video Chums

Mina the Hollower Review 🐭

Mina the Hollower is a highly acclaimed adventure game that blends classic Zelda-like exploration with unique, challenging combat. The game features a gorgeous 8-bit visual style, an incredible chiptune soundtrack, and a brilliantly interconnected world that gradually opens up to the player. While offering a deep and rewarding experience with plenty of secrets, some difficulty spikes and accessibility options that disable trophies are noted drawbacks.

Retro Gamer

Mina the Hollower devs score a much-needed hit as the Zelda-like instantly becomes Metacritic's best-rated game of…

Mina the Hollower, the latest title from Yacht Club Games, has achieved a Metascore of 93, making it Metacritic's highest-rated game of 2026 so far. Critics praise the game for its blend of classic inspirations like The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania with fresh, contemporary design. The developers are reportedly relying on this critical success for a much-needed breakthrough.

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Nintendo Life

Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Mina The Hollower

Reviews for Yacht Club Games' upcoming title, Mina The Hollower, are overwhelmingly positive, with many critics praising its retro-inspired design and gameplay mechanics. The game, which blends elements of The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania, has received high scores across multiple publications, including a 9/10 from Nintendo Life and a perfect 10/10 from IGN. Despite some minor criticisms regarding movement controls and potential grinding, the consensus is that Mina The Hollower is a standout title and a potential masterpiece from the developers.

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PC Gamer

Mina the Hollower review

Mina the Hollower is a gothic action RPG that blends ferocious combat with beautiful scenery and numerous secrets. Developed by Yacht Club Games, the game offers a challenging experience with versatile combat options and extensive customization through modifiers, allowing players to tailor the difficulty and gameplay to their preferences. Its retro-inspired design ensures clarity in hazards and enemy weak points, making it accessible despite its demanding nature.

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Push Square

Round Up: Mina the Hollower Earns Critical Acclaim, Best-Rated Game of 2026 in First Reviews

Mina the Hollower has received widespread critical acclaim, achieving a Metacritic score of 93 and becoming the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. Reviews praise its masterful game design, striking art style, and engaging combat, drawing comparisons to classics like The Legend of Zelda and Elden Ring. The game is available on PC and Nintendo Switch, with a PlayStation 5 release scheduled for May 29, 2026.

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Checkpoint Gaming

Mina the Hollower Review - Buried treasure

Mina the Hollower is a new action-adventure game from Yacht Club Games, drawing inspiration from classic top-down Zelda titles. It features isometric exploration, a burrowing mechanic, and a vast world filled with secrets and challenging boss fights. Despite a sometimes vague objective guidance, the game offers extensive customization options through its 'Modifiers' system and boasts charming retro visuals and a memorable chiptune soundtrack.

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Siliconera

Review: Mina the Hollower Is Another Yacht Club Games Success Story

Mina the Hollower is a successful expansion into the top-down action-adventure genre for Yacht Club Games, building on their legacy of Shovel Knight. The game features a compelling story, challenging combat that utilizes a unique burrowing mechanic, and extensive exploration with secrets to uncover. It will be released on May 29, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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