Mina the Hollower

A top-down action-adventure from the makers of Shovel Knight that faithfully recreates the visual constraints of the Game Boy Color while delivering combat depth and world design that puts most modern indie games to shame.

Mina the Hollower is a top-down action-adventure game rendered in a pixel-perfect 3/4 isometric perspective that faithfully recreates the visual constraints of the Game Boy Color. You play as Mina, a mouse and genius inventor who is also a Hollower, a member of a guild dedicated to studying the Earth. She's been sent on a desperate mission to rescue a cursed island, and she's going to whip, burrow, and fight her way through every monster standing in her way.

The game wears its influences on its sleeve. The combat and world structure draw from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. The weapon variety and enemy encounters echo Castlevania. The darker tone and atmosphere take a page from Bloodborne. The whole thing is filtered through the same meticulous design philosophy that made Shovel Knight one of the best platformers of the last decade.

The defining mechanic is the burrow. Mina can hollow underground for short bursts, becoming invincible while she travels beneath hazards and enemies. It's not a gimmick. It's woven into every layer of the design. You burrow under enemies to reposition, burrow under hazards to bypass them, burrow to reach secret areas. The mechanic gives the game a rhythm that feels completely its own.

How It Plays

Mina starts with a choice of three weapons: the whip Nightstar, dual daggers called Whisper and Vesper, and the Blaststrike Maul. Each has a completely different move set. The whip has range and knockback. The daggers are fast and close-range. The hammer hits hard in four directions. Two more weapons unlock later in the game, for a total of six, each with distinct feel.

The progression system uses a currency called Bones, which you spend to upgrade Mina's combat stats and purchase goods. Trinkets provide permanent boosts to navigation and combat. Sidearms offer combat support but are lost on death, creating a risk-reward loop. Sidearms are powered by "joules," which can be refilled by collecting items. You start with a maximum of twenty joules and can purchase Joule Box upgrades to increase that cap.

The death mechanic draws from Dark Souls. When Mina dies, she loses a spark, which either remains in place or is absorbed by the enemy who killed her. If she dies again without any sparks, all her bones are lost (excluding those converted to bonestone). Sparks can be regained by touching them in the field, defeating the enemy who absorbed them, or replenishing at the last checkpoint. You start with a maximum of one spark and can increase that cap through purchase or trinkets. Sparks also open certain doors, which creates a tension between progression and survival currency.

Development

Mina the Hollower began as a side project by Yacht Club Games employee Alec Faulkner, originally under the name "Gothic." It was not intended for commercial release. Yacht Club management saw the title as a favorable pairing to the studio's flagship Shovel Knight series. A Kickstarter campaign launched on February 2, 2022, raised USD$1,239,584 from 21,439 backers, and with additional crowdfunding sources, the game raised over USD$1,400,000.

The game was designed to mimic the visual appearance of a Game Boy Color title. This stylistic decision was made while it was still a solo project for Faulkner, inspired by Game Boy games he had been playing. To remain authentic to the original Game Boy hardware, Mina abides by its technical limitations: no 3D assets, four colors per tile. The only modern concession is widescreen resolution. The developers' interest in scary stories and horror games, plus their experience creating the darker Specter of Torment DLC for Shovel Knight, inspired the Gothic tone. The soundtrack was composed by Jake Kaufman, with two guest tracks from Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage).

Originally scheduled for October 31, 2025, the game was delayed to May 28, 2026. Programmer David D'Angelo told GameSpot that failed playtesting is what led to the delay.

Where to Play

Available on: - PC (Windows/Mac/Linux): Steam ($19.99)

• PlayStation 5: PlayStation Store

• Xbox Series X/S: Microsoft Store

• Nintendo Switch and Switch 2: Nintendo eShop