About Mina the Hollower
Mina the Hollower is an indie top-down action-adventure game. The story can be summed up in a few lines, but it holds many surprises as the player progresses. You play as Mina, a Hollower—that is, an experienced adventurer who specializes in the art of digging through the ground. She arrives on the cursed Tenebrous Isle to save it from decline. The six generators that powered the island have broken down, and hostile creatures have begun to roam the land. Mina therefore faces the daunting task of solving this mystery by restarting the six generators. To do so, she is aided by the Muloteurs’ Guild.
Somewhere between gothic horror and adorable creatures, Mina the Hollower’s style stands out. Its nod to retro culture is evident from the very beginning. The pixel art evokes the 8-bit aesthetic of the Game Boy Color, with highly polished animations, ultra-responsive controls, and a truly delightful modern twist.
On the audio front, it’s also flawless, as the studio enlisted the talents of Jake Kaufman, the longtime composer for Shovel Knight, as well as Yuzo Koshiro, one of the most iconic Japanese composers of all time. He is best known for the exceptional soundtracks of Streets of Rage, the 8-bit version of Sonic, ActRaiser, and certain melodies from Shenmue.
Why Should I Play Mina the Hollower?
Mina the Hollower is reminiscent of the great video game classics, starting with Zelda. With its top-down view—which echoes Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy and A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo—gamers are on familiar ground. With its retro aesthetic—inspired by the heyday of the Game Boy Color—the game offers an adventure that blends exploration, combat, and puzzles. It has all the hallmarks of the greatest games. Just like Link, the little mouse you control has a primary weapon—in this case, a whip—along with secondary items and weapons. While overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies, she navigates through various levels teeming with secret rooms and hidden artifacts. The formula is familiar, but it works very well.
The heart of the gameplay system lies in “hollowing”—hence the name Mina the Hollower. Our rodent is indeed capable of burrowing underground to defend herself, dodge attacks, overcome certain dangers, or surprise her opponent in battle. Conceptually, this is somewhat similar to the power of one of the creatures in Sonic Colors (the Wisps), which allows the hedgehog to move beneath the surface. This underground ability adds a truly interesting tactical dimension to the gameplay, especially since there’s plenty of room for progression. The action is dynamic; you can really feel the impact of the hits, and the combat—which relies on a Castlevania/Dark Souls-style timing mechanic—is definitely engaging.
Tenebrous Isle is divided into six regions, each with its own spawn point and boss. The city of Ossex serves as the central hub. In total, you’ll face no fewer than 28 bosses in an adventure that can last up to 30 hours for the most dedicated collectors. At the end of the game, there’s even a “New Game+” mode to enjoy an even more challenging experience. While drawing on nostalgia and classics like Zelda, Mina the Hollower manages to blend tradition and modernity for a result that’s instantly captivating. With its flawless level design, deep gameplay, and progression that’s as skillful as it is subtle, Mina the Hollower is a game you won’t want to miss.
Is Mina the Hollower Free-to-play?
Born out of a Kickstarter campaign, Mina the Hollower is a paid game, but it’s offered at a very affordable price on all platforms for about twenty euros. The demo, which was offered for a while, is no longer available.
Where Can I Download Mina the Hollower?
As is often the case with indie games, Mina the Hollower is available on every platform. You can download it on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. On computers, it’s also available on macOS and Linux. For Steam Deck owners, the game is fully compatible, ensuring an optimal experience.
What Games Should I Play If I Enjoy Mina the Hollower?
If you’re looking for an alternative to Mina the Hollower, you simply can’t help but start with Shovel Knight. Developed by the same studio as Mina the Hollower, Shovel Knight single-handedly revived the trend for 8-bit-style games in 2014, with game design that’s both accessible and challenging. In this game, the knight you play as wields a shovel instead of a whip and navigates more linear levels—though they’re packed with enemies you’ll need to analyze in order to defeat them. In a sense, Mina the Hollower is simply the culmination of a decade of this expertise, while Shovel Knight was clearly its cornerstone. If you like Shovel Knight, don’t miss the various expansions that extend the fun.
With its slightly gothic style, Mina the Hollower is a very endearing game. If you like this aesthetic, don’t miss Blasphemous 2, the second installment in the eponymous series created by the Spanish studio The Game Kitchen. Featuring absolutely stunning pixel art and a haunting atmosphere, this game offers challenging battles; labyrinthine level design reminiscent of the Castlevania series—including the extraordinary Symphony of the Night; and progression that encourages exploration. With a deeply visceral approach and a spellbinding atmosphere, Blasphemous 2 is an excellent addition if you enjoyed Mina the Hollower. But be warned—you’ll need to hang in there: it’s a challenging game.
Finally, if it was the very heart of Mina’s gameplay that won you over, go check out Tunic. This isometric adventure, released in 2022, feels like a 16-bit-era Zelda crossed with the difficulty of a Souls game. You control a little fox dropped into a mysterious world, without so much as a tutorial: the game’s greatest innovation is its instruction manual—which you must piece together page by page—written in an imaginary language, turning the simple act of understanding the rules into a puzzle in its own right. Combat requires dodging and reading attack patterns, exactly in the spirit of Mina’s “hollowing,” and exploration rewards curiosity on every screen. Available on PC, it’s now one of the best examples of the modern Zelda-like genre.
