Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Mina the Hollower
From the makers of Shovel Knight comes a bone chilling action adventure with a nostalgic 8-bit look. Wielding a whip and a burrowing ability, players explore a pixel perfect world in fast 60fps combat.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Metroidvania / Action, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available broadly, on 4 platforms. It sits in the mid price bracket.
What stands out
- From Shovel Knight makers
- 8-bit aesthetic
- Whip and burrowing
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you actually want to be scared
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you like a deliberate retro look over photorealism
- you prefer a darker, heavier tone
Look elsewhere if
- you want something light and easy going
- pixel art puts you off
- you specifically want an open world to roam
- you want to play it side by side with someone
What it costs you in time
About 16 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 3 weeks, or 8 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 105 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Metroidvania averages 86 points across the database, so this one sits 5 points above its own genre. The figure rests on a comparatively small number of ratings, so treat it as an indication rather than a verdict.
Released in 2026, so it is current. Expect it to run well on modern hardware and still get patches.
The facts
- Release year
- 2026
- Genres
- Metroidvania, Action, Adventure
- Playtime
- approx. 16 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy, Historical
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Mid price
- Platforms
- Xbox, PC, Switch, PlayStation
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mina the Hollower | 2026 | approx. 16 hrs. | 91 | Mid price |
| Constance | 2025 | approx. 15 hrs. | 76 | Mid price |
| Blasphemous 2 | 2023 | approx. 15 hrs. | 89 | Mid price |
| Blasphemous | 2019 | approx. 15 hrs. | 78 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- Constance Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy
- Blasphemous 2 Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy
- Blasphemous Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy, shorter
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy, rated higher
- Dishonored 2 Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy