Yacht Club Games, creators of Shovel Knight, present Mina the Hollower, a title that wears the nostalgia of Game Boy Color but hides modern mechanics. Its aggressive combat allows you to heal by hitting enemies, similar to Bloodborne, and upon death you'll need to recover your coins like in a soulslike. Don't expect an easy ride. ⚔️
Hollowing as a core exploration and technical design mechanic 🕳️
The main ability, hollowing, allows you to dig underground to bypass obstacles and solve puzzles. On a technical level, this involves a dynamic terrain layer that interacts with the pixelated 2D map. The game includes difficulty modifiers, but its default setting is punishing and its labyrinthine world makes it easy to get lost. There are no generous maps or constant markers.
Die to learn, or to cry for a while 💀
If you enjoy losing progress due to a poorly placed spike and then spending ten minutes searching for your character's corpse, this game is for you. The soulslike mechanic of recovering coins upon death is combined with an atmosphere that will make you wonder if the Game Boy Color was crueler than you remembered. And yes, you can adjust the difficulty, but admitting you need help hurts more than the punishment itself.