Mina the Hollower is the best old-school action adventure I've played in a while
Mina the Hollower’s big hook is that mobility is the core verb from minute one. As the mouse-like Hollower, you can jump and burrow through soft soil, slip under obstacles, and pop out with an extended jump that quickly becomes part of the game’s rhythm. The article frames that as a deliberate contrast to older Zelda-style progression, where movement upgrades were usually the reward rather than the baseline.
For developers, the interesting part is how much gameplay mileage comes from a tiny set of actions. Burrowing isn’t just traversal; it becomes a dodge, a repositioning tool, and a way to uncover hidden routes. That kind of systemic overlap is what makes the game feel energetic without needing a huge mechanics stack. It’s a useful reminder that strong feel and level layout can do a lot of heavy lifting when the core movement is tuned well.
“the best old-school action adventure I've played in a while”
- what
- Ars Technica says Mina the Hollower is a standout old-school action adventure built around movement-first design.
- who
- The game stars Mina, a mouse-like Hollower, in a top-down action-adventure structure.
- impact
- Its jump-and-burrow kit creates combat, traversal, and secret-finding from the same mechanics, which is a useful design pattern for small teams.
- context
- The article compares it to classic top-down Zelda progression, where mobility upgrades were usually earned later.
Strong praise for its movement and feel
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