Mina the Hollower
A mouse inventor burrows through a dark isometric world.
Mina the Hollower is an action-adventure game from Yacht Club Games, released in 2026 on Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. Drawing inspiration from Game Boy titles, it was met with critical acclaim and has surpassed half a million sales.
Players control Mina, a mouse who is both a genius inventor and a member of the Hollower guild, which studies the Earth. At the start, she chooses one of three weapons: the Nightstar whip, the dual daggers Whisper and Vesper, or the Blaststrike Maul hammer, which attacks in four directions. Two additional weapons become available later, but Mina can carry only one at a time. She can also use Hollowing, a technique that lets her burrow underground briefly to cross gaps quickly while invincible. Bones serve as currency to raise combat stats, while trinkets grant permanent boosts to navigation and combat. Sidearms found across the world offer support or combat roles but are lost on death. The game uses a 3/4 isometric perspective, similar to Game Boy Color games like *The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX*.
The story is set in the 19th century, where mythical creatures and anthropomorphic animals live alongside humans, primarily on Tenebrous Isle. The hub city is Ossex. Ten years before the game, Mina and philanthropist Lionel built Spark Generators across the isle, harnessing an energy called Spark. Lionel stayed behind to lead Ossex, while Mina left. When the generators begin malfunctioning, Mina is summoned to fix them.
On her way to Tenebrous Isle, a large creature attacks Mina’s boat, causing it to crash. A fellow sailor, Cappy, gives her healing Plasma Vials. Reaching Ossex, she finds it under attack by shock troopers led by Thorne, a bat who was once head of Lionel’s guard but turned against him. Mina drives Thorne off, and Lionel explains that six of seven generators have dulled, with only Ossex’s core still working. He asks Mina to restore the others.
Mina discovers the landscape is plagued by hostile creatures, pollution, and bad weather, each generator guarded by a monster. Thorne confronts her, claiming the generators cause the hostile environment and urging her to destroy them. Lionel warns that destroying them could cause greater harm.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Mina the Hollower
- Developer
- Yacht Club Games
- Producer
- Tina Carter
- Designer
- Alec Faulkner
- Composer
- Jake Kaufman · Yuzo Koshiro
- Platforms
- Linux · macOS · Nintendo Switch · Nintendo Switch 2 · PlayStation 5 · Windows · Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- May 29, 2026
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mina the Hollower began as a side project by Yacht Club Games employee Alec Faulkner, originally under the name Gothic, intended to hone his coding and artistic skills. It was not initially planned for commercial release, but caught the attention of management who saw it as a favorable pairing with the studio's Shovel Knight series. A Kickstarter campaign launched on February 2, 2022, raising over USD$1,400,000 including other crowdfunding sources. Originally scheduled for October 31, 2025, the game was delayed to May 29, 2026; programmer David D’Angelo stated that failed play testing caused the delay.
The game was designed to mimic the visual appearance of a Game Boy Color title, abiding by technical limitations such as no 3D assets and four colors per tile, with exceptions for widescreen resolution and loose pixel-grid adherence for sprites. The developers' interest in horror and darker stories, along with their work on Shovel Knight's Specter of Torment DLC, inspired the game's tone. Gameplay and story draw influences from Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and Bloodborne, as well as the Disneyland rides The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. The soundtrack was composed by Jake Kaufman, with two guest tracks from Yuzo Koshiro.
Reader's Guide
Mina the Hollower is notable for its deliberate homage to Game Boy Color-era visuals and its isometric 3/4 perspective, reminiscent of titles like The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX. The game's core mechanic, Hollowing, allows the protagonist to burrow underground for short distances, providing invincibility and traversal options. Players choose from three starting weapons—a whip, dual daggers, or a hammer—and can unlock two additional weapons later. Currency called Bones is used to raise combat statistics, while trinkets offer permanent boosts and sidearms provide temporary support abilities lost upon death.
The story follows Mina, a mouse inventor and Hollower, as she returns to Tenebrous Isle to repair malfunctioning Spark Generators. The narrative involves a conflict between philanthropist Lionel and former guard Thorne, with Mina caught between their opposing views on the generators' effects. The game's reception was positive, with pre-release previews calling it ambitious and comparing it to Castlevania and Zelda. The game sold over 500,000 copies and received acclaim. Its development history, from a solo side project to a crowdfunded commercial release, highlights the studio's commitment to retro-inspired design and darker storytelling.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally a side project by Yacht Club Games employee Alec Faulkner under the name Gothic.
- Mina the Hollower raised over USD$1,400,000 through crowdfunding including Kickstarter.
- The game's visual design limits pixel art to four colors per tile to mimic Game Boy hardware.
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