TL;DR
- Yes, for most players — it launched as the highest-rated game of 2026 (≈92–93 Metacritic, ~92 OpenCritic) at $19.99.
- Length — about 20–30 hours for a first playthrough; 25–30h+ to fully explore.
- It's genuinely hard by default, but 200+ Modifiers/Assist options let you tune it from "can't take damage" to brutal.
- Post-game is huge — seven New Game Plus modes that shuffle items, mirror the world and remix enemies (the dev's own save topped 150 hours).
- Think Game Boy Zelda's structure with FromSoft's death economy and a Castlevania whip — not a metroidvania, not a roguelike.
If you’re staring at the store page wondering whether Mina the Hollower is worth your $19.99, here’s the short version: it launched as the best-reviewed game of 2026, it’s a generous 20–30 hours, and its biggest risks — a rough opening and a demanding default difficulty — are both things the game itself lets you tune. Below is everything you need to decide.
The verdict at a glance
- Price: $19.99 on every platform.
- Review consensus: ≈92–93 Metacritic, ~92 OpenCritic — the top-rated game of 2026 at launch.
- Length: ~20–30 hours main; 25–30h+ to explore; 100–150h+ with full NG+.
- Difficulty: Hard by default, fully tunable via 200+ modifiers.
- Best for: Fans of Game Boy Zelda, Castlevania, Shovel Knight, and players who like FromSoft-style risk without a full Soulslike commitment.
- Skip if: You bounce off slow openings, want a detailed in-game map, or dislike combat with real consequences.
How good is it, really?
At launch Mina the Hollower became the highest-rated game of 2026 on both major aggregators, edging out Forza Horizon 6 (91):
- Metacritic ~92–93 (“Universal Acclaim”), with early outlets reporting 93 and the page settling around 92 across 45+ critics, effectively 100% positive.
- OpenCritic ~92/100 Top Critic average, with roughly 97–98% of critics recommending it.
Individual reviews ranged from IGN (“an absolute masterpiece of an adventure”) and Screen Rant (10/10) to Game Informer’s more measured 8.75. Critics consistently praised the level and world design, combat, pixel art, soundtrack, and the accessibility modifiers. The recurring criticisms are a slow, confusing opening, the lack of a detailed map, the demanding default balance, and the fact that using assist modifiers disables achievements.
It’s also a notable comeback story — developer Yacht Club Games publicly called Mina “make-or-break” after a roughly six-year development and a near-release delay, so the strong reception lands as a genuine rescue.
How long is it?
| Goal | Time |
|---|---|
| First playthrough (developer estimate) | ~20–30 hours |
| Reignite all six generators | ~25 hours |
| Finish and explore everything | 25–30 hours+ |
| Full New Game Plus cycles | 100–150 hours+ |
The dev framed the campaign as “like all the Shovel Knight campaigns in one,” and their own completionist save — every NG+ included — ran over 150 hours.
How hard is it?
The default difficulty is genuinely demanding: tough-but-fair, with Soulslike stakes where a bad death can cost you your carried Bones. But Mina is built to be tuned. In Settings > Modifiers/Assist there are 200+ modifiers you can toggle at any time, even mid-fight:
- Easier: Take 0.5x Damage, Boss Checkpoints (an Underlab right outside the boss room), Quick Heal, More Plasma, No Bone Loss, even full damage immunity.
- Harder: Take 1.5x+ Damage, slower Boning Up, Less Plasma.
- Weirder: 1.5x Mina size, super jump, permanent Hollowing — the randomizer side of NG+.
Two caveats: using modifiers disables achievements for that playthrough, and most modifiers are locked behind New Game Plus, so a first run only exposes the most useful assists.
The post-game: NG+7 and the randomizer
Beating the game is far from the end. Mina packs seven New Game Plus modes. They don’t merely raise difficulty — across the cycles, items get shuffled, the world can be mirrored, enemy difficulty changes, and content gets remixed. Combined with the modifier suite, that’s where the 100–150-hour saves come from.
How it compares
Mina wears its influences openly, but it’s its own blend rather than a clone of any one of them.
vs The Legend of Zelda (Game Boy era)
The core is a top-down Zelda-like, explicitly modeled on Link’s Awakening and the Oracle games — cutscenes and camera pans included. The look is “HD Game Boy Color,” the way Shovel Knight was “HD NES.” If you loved the GBC Zeldas, this is the closest modern thing.
vs Dark Souls / Bloodborne
The FromSoft DNA is in the economy, not the moveset: Bones act like souls/XP you drop on death and must recover (with a one-retry grace via Sparks), and healing is an attack-to-fill “Estus” loop. Combat is pattern-driven and punishing, and there’s no detailed map. The widely used tagline — “Zelda’s heart, FromSoft’s soul.”
vs Castlevania
The gothic 1700s aesthetic and Mina’s Nightstar whip evoke Simon Belmont, sidearms hide in candelabras, and composer Yuzo Koshiro (Portrait of Ruin) contributed to the soundtrack alongside Jake Kaufman.
vs Shovel Knight
Same studio, same “game feel.” Mina shares the bone/death-recovery idea with Shovel Knight and feels closest internally to Specter of Torment’s speed — but top-down. If you trust Yacht Club Games, that trust is well-placed here.
Is it a metroidvania or a roguelike?
Neither, really. There are no ability-gated regions — you can tackle the dungeons in nearly any order, so it’s not a traditional metroidvania, and the procedural shuffling only appears in NG+, so it’s not a roguelike.
So — should you buy it?
If you enjoy deliberate, exploration-driven action-adventures and don’t mind earning your wins, it’s an easy yes at $19.99 — and the modifiers mean even difficulty-averse players can get through it. If you want a relaxed, map-marker-driven experience or you’ll quit during a slow opening, look elsewhere.
Ready to play? Start with our beginner’s guide and full walkthrough, or check platforms and editions to pick where to buy.
FAQ
Is Mina the Hollower worth it?
For most action-adventure fans, yes. At launch it was the highest-rated game of 2026 on both Metacritic (≈92–93, Universal Acclaim) and OpenCritic (~92, ~97–98% Critics Recommend), it costs $19.99, and it offers 20–30 hours of campaign plus a deep NG+ post-game. The main caveats are a slow, confusing opening and a demanding default difficulty — both of which the built-in modifiers can soften.
How long is Mina the Hollower to beat?
Around 20–30 hours for a first playthrough, per the developer ("like all the Shovel Knight campaigns in one"). Reigniting all six generators takes roughly 25 hours; completionists exploring everything land at 25–30 hours or more. Running every New Game Plus cycle can push the total past 100–150 hours.
Is Mina the Hollower hard?
By default, yes — it's tough-but-fair with Soulslike consequences (lose your Bones on a bad death). But it ships with 200+ modifiers in Settings > Modifiers/Assist that you can toggle at any time, including mid-fight. You can make yourself take half damage, add Boss Checkpoints, disable Bone loss, or even make yourself immune to damage. Using modifiers disables achievements for that playthrough, and most of them are locked behind New Game Plus.
How many New Game Plus modes are there?
Seven. NG+ doesn't just crank difficulty — items get shuffled, the world can be mirrored, enemy behavior changes and content gets remixed across the cycles, making for an intensive post-game.
Is Mina the Hollower a metroidvania, a Zelda-like or a roguelike?
It's closest to a top-down Game Boy Zelda (Link's Awakening, the Oracle games) in structure, fused with a FromSoft-style death-and-recovery economy and a Castlevania gothic look and whip. It is not a roguelike, and it's not a traditional metroidvania — there are no ability-gated regions; you can tackle the dungeons in nearly any order.
Which platform should I buy it on?
It's the same $19.99 game on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam/Steam Deck), Mac and Linux. See our platforms and editions guide for the full breakdown and release details.