Mina the Hollower, the new release from Shovel Knight studio Yacht Club, is now the highest-rated video game of the year.
The 2D platformer, which was crowd-funded in 2022 and described as a “make or break” release for its creators, currently has a Metacritic score of 92, which places it at No. 1, above Forza Horizon 6, Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, and Mewgenics.
So far, Mina the Hollower has been given more than a dozen perfect scores from outlets such as RPG Site and IGN, the former of which describes it as ‘a truly special game’.
“From start to finish, Mina the Hollower had me enthralled, which is pretty incredible for a game that ran me about 18 hours for a first-time playthrough,” it wrote.
“Some truly masterful game design on display, along with excellent spritework and sound design, make this an all-timer and an easy recommend for…frankly, anyone that enjoys video games.”
IGN added: “Mina achieves the same heights in both action and style that its impressive inspirations – Zelda, Castlevania, and FromSoft RPGs – reach on a regular basis, and with far fewer resources.
“Even if all you’ve played is Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring, don’t let the retro look fool you: Mina the Hollower will scratch the same itch, with an open world that’s crammed with mysteries worth finding and lively, clever combat I couldn’t get enough of.”
Mina the Hollower will release on May 29 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S.
The game was originally announced in early 2022, with a Kickstarter campaign raising $1.2 million and an estimated December 2023 release. However, as the project continued to grow in scale, it was heavily delayed, leading to Yacht Club claiming that it was relying on its success to secure its future.
“It’s make-or-break for sure,” studio director Sean Velasco told Bloomberg last year. “If we sold 500,000 copies, then we would be golden. If we sold even 200,000, that would be really, really great. If we sold, like, 100,000, that’s not so good.”
