KUALA LUMPUR: This year in gaming has produced an unlikely indie title that has surpassed several recent triple-A releases.
Mina The Hollower, an indie game purposely styled as an 8-bit Game Boy Color title but featuring modern gameplay mechanics and design, has topped the Metacritic charts. The title from Yacht Club Games has beaten Forza Horizon 6 and other big-budget games despite having only a fraction of their budgets.
Yacht Club Games made its debut with the Kickstarter-successful 2D platformer Shovel Knight. The studio has not released a new video game IP until now, having instead focused on additional content and co-developed Shovel Knight projects over the years.
The company has also said it could face difficulties if Mina The Hollower fails to meet its projected sales targets. For the record, the title was first announced in 2020 and has been delayed in the past.
Nevertheless, the game has received universal praise from critics. It also shows that no matter how small your title is or where it is made, a great game can still find its audience if the right people discover it and spread the word.
It may not happen overnight, but success can come if developers do not give up on their projects. If it happened to Shovel Knight, it can happen to Mina The Hollower. Consider this thought piece an inspiration for those looking to make their own games with a small team: use your time wisely and never compromise your ideas. You can carve your own path, just as Yacht Club Games has done.
Short Beats
Square Enix has scrapped the previous version of its upcoming Japanese role-playing game Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. Instead, it has announced a new version called Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams, complete with a new trailer. The new JRPG does not have a release date yet.
The Witcher 3 is getting a new expansion called Songs of the Past. The expansion is slated for release in 2027.
Planet Zoo 2 has been announced for PC and consoles. The zoo simulation sequel is slated for release on Oct 13.
PlayStation is shutting down its exclusive online title Destruction AllStars.
Road to Empress 2 is slated for release on June 9. It continues the story of the Road to Empress full-motion video adventure game.
Games Out This Week
Mina The Hollower is a 2D action-adventure title from Yacht Club Games of Shovel Knight fame. The 8-bit art-style Zelda-like and Soulslike hybrid follows the titular mouse, Mina, as she battles through the Isle of Tenebrae, repairs its six generators and braves its horror-filled regions.
007: First Light is a new third-person action title from IO Interactive. The game serves as an origin story for James Bond as he goes from a reckless MI6 recruit to the suave spy he becomes, undertaking espionage and sabotage missions along the way.
Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered is a new entry in the Japanese role-playing game series set in the fantasy lands of Yamato.
Schrodinger’s Call is a visual novel published by Sheisha Games. The title is described as a picture book that lets players experience the pain and salvation of human connection while deciding who they want to speak to one last time.
LumenTale: Memories of Trey is a monster-collecting role-playing game set in a fantasy anime-inspired world and published by Team17.
World of Tanks: Heat is Wargaming’s first hero-driven tank action game. Players can choose their agents, personalise their tanks and combine skill and strategy to dominate the battlefield.
Recommended Viewing
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has created his own YouTube channel, with his first video focusing on why Bungie’s Destiny is dead. For a game he has complained about since 2014, he certainly spends a lot of time playing it. Find out why the title continues to have such an impact on him and many others.
