Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Mina the Hollower Tops Metacritic Ahead of May 29 Launch

Early reviews single out its Game Boy Color visuals, chiptune score and extensive difficulty modifiers as reasons the game appeals to both hardcore and casual players.

Overview

  • Review embargoes lifted on Wednesday, May 27, producing an early Metacritic aggregate of 93 that places Mina the Hollower as the highest-rated game of 2026 so far.
  • Critics praise the game's Game Boy Color‑style pixel art and chiptune soundtrack, with music by Jake Kaufman and contributions from Yuzo Koshiro singled out as highlights.
  • Mina’s signature ‘hollowing’ mechanic lets the protagonist burrow and burst to traverse, solve puzzles and fight, and the game mixes Zelda‑style exploration with Soulslike death and recovery systems.
  • Reviewers warn that the default difficulty can be punishing but note an exhaustive set of real‑time modifiers that let players change health, invulnerability, fall damage and movement at any time.
  • The game releases on Friday, May 29 for Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC/Mac/Linux at $19.99, a launch described by the studio’s founder as financially important and likely to shape Yacht Club Games’ near‑term prospects.