REVIEW | Mina The Hollower

There’s something instantly gripping about stepping into a world that feels both familiar and unsettling, and Mina the Hollower nails that feeling from the moment you arrive on its cursed island. Yacht Club Games leans hard into its Victorian gothic inspirations, wrapping every screen in shadowy charm and every encounter in that tight, handcrafted precision they’re known for. What starts as a simple rescue mission quickly becomes a descent into a world of strange creatures, hidden paths, and secrets buried just beneath the soil, literally.

It’s a game that feels like a lost classic from the Game Boy Colour era, but sharpened with modern instincts and a real sense of momentum. And once Mina starts burrowing, whipping, and darting through danger, it becomes clear this isn’t just a retro homage. It’s a full adventure with its own heartbeat.

So grab your lantern, steady your nerves, and let’s dig into the review.

Things I liked!

• Combat and Weapons | Mina the Hollower thrives on precision and rhythm. Every movement feels deliberate, from the snap of Mina’s weapon to the quick burrow that lets her slip beneath danger and re‑emerge behind enemies. At the start, you choose from three weapons: the Nightstar, Mina’s whip‑like chain mace; Whisper and Vesper, twin daggers built for speed; and the Blastrike Maul, a heavy hitter that trades agility for power. Each weapon feels distinct, offering its own rhythm and strategy.
  
  Mina can also burrow under certain objects and use them as weapons when thrown, adding a clever layer of environmental interaction. I began with the Nightstar, which felt perfectly balanced for learning the game’s flow. Each can be upgraded twice, adding depth and letting you refine Mina’s combat style.

• Challenge and Progression | The gameplay is challenging from the start, demanding quick reactions and careful timing, but you can grind at any point to level up if needed. When you rest at a save point, all enemies respawn, making grinding straightforward even if it can be a little slow at times. I often did this before tougher encounters or when progress slowed down, which helped smooth out the difficulty curve. Maps encourage curiosity without losing momentum, with shortcuts and hidden routes that loop back in satisfying ways. Boss fights stand out as highlights, demanding mastery of Mina’s toolkit while staying tough but fair.
  
  The death mechanic is heavily inspired by Dark Souls and Shovel Knight. When Mina dies, she drops a portion of her bones, the currency  used throughout the game. They remain floating in the exact spot where she fell, and you must collect them without dying again. It adds tension to every encounter, rewarding careful play and punishing recklessness in a way that feels fair and familiar to fans of those inspirations.
  
  
• Upgrades and Trinkets | Trinkets add a satisfying layer of build variety. You start with one slot and unlock more as you progress. I enjoyed experimenting with them, as some boost combat, others aid survival or evasion, and a few even pull dropped bones, the game’s currency, toward Mina. Combined with weapon upgrades, they give you plenty of room to adapt your playstyle and find strategies that suit each challenge. 
  
  
• Visuals | Mina the Hollower captures the charm of classic handheld adventures while pushing pixel art to impressive new heights. Played from a top‑down viewpoint, the world feels alive with detail, from flickering lanterns and eerie shadows to the crisp animations that make every movement satisfying to watch. The colour palette balances gothic tones with bursts of warmth, giving each area its own personality without losing cohesion.
  
  I was instantly drawn to the art style; it’s expressive and full of character, with cutscenes that look stunning in motion. The environments feel handcrafted, and the subtle lighting effects add depth without breaking the retro aesthetic. I also liked the 3D effect, which gives the world a sense of space and makes the visuals feel even more dynamic. During longer sessions, I often forgot I was looking at an 8‑bit world, which says a lot about how well the visuals pull you in. Even small touches, like Mina’s burrow trail or the sparkle of collected bones, make the game feel polished and full of life.
  
  
• Music & Audio | The soundtrack, composed by Jake Kaufman, delivers energetic chiptune tracks that perfectly match the game’s pace and atmosphere. Each piece enhances the tension of combat or the calm of exploration, capturing the spirit of classic handheld adventures while feeling fresh and full of life.
  
  Sound effects are crisp and well‑balanced, giving weight to every strike, burrow and movement. Environmental details, such as water splashes and echoing footsteps, add texture and help bring the world to life. The overall mix keeps the action clear and satisfying, supporting the gameplay without ever becoming distracting.
  
  
• Story | Mina the Hollower follows Mina, a renowned Hollower sent on a mission to rescue a cursed island and restore its power. The narrative draws inspiration from Victorian Gothic horror, blending an eerie atmosphere with moments of warmth. Storytelling is kept light, delivered through short scenes and environmental details rather than lengthy dialogue.
  
  It’s a straightforward setup that supports the gameplay rather than competing with it. The focus  stays on exploration and action, with the story providing just enough context to drive Mina’s journey through the island’s dark, interconnected world.
  
  
• Accessibility and Modifiers | Accessibility options are extensive and well thought out. You can fully remap the controls, adjust audio levels with separate sliders, and choose from various languages. If you find the game too difficult, there are modifiers that let you tailor the experience to your liking. You can make Mina walk twice as fast, jump higher, or even become invincible. There are plenty of modifiers to experiment with, and you can also make the game more challenging if you prefer.
  
  There is a catch to using any modifiers, as enabling them will disable the ability to earn achievements on your current save file, something I found out too late, which resulted in me not earning any more achievements for the remaining fifteen hours or so it took me to finish Mina the Hollower. Even so, the range of options makes Mina the Hollower welcoming to a wide range of players, allowing everyone to enjoy its world at their own pace and comfort level. 

Mixed & disliked!

• Navigation & World Design | The world is impressively detailed, full of hidden secrets and optional paths to discover. However, navigating it can often be frustrating. There is no map or quest marker to guide you, so progress relies entirely on memory and exploration. It is easy to lose your bearings, and more than once I found myself going in circles after missing the way forward. While the sense of discovery is strong, the lack of direction can make exploration feel confusing and slow at times. 

• Achievements | The achievement list is challenging, with several goals aimed at expert players. Some stand out for their difficulty, such as completing the game in under four hours or finishing without ever losing your bones. These targets demand precision and deep familiarity with the game’s mechanics, making full completion a serious test of skill.

• How long did I play the review before publishing? 25 Hours
• How long to beat the story? 20-30 Hours
• How long to achieve 1000G | 75+ Hours
• You’ll love this game if you like these | Hyper Light Drifter & Death’s door

CONCLUSION

Score: 88/100

Mina the Hollower is a sharp, stylish adventure that blends retro charm with modern precision, delivering a journey that feels both familiar and fresh. Its tight combat, clever progression and gothic atmosphere kept me hooked from start to finish, and even with a few navigation frustrations, the overall experience shines far brighter than its 8‑bit roots suggest.