Mina the Hollower: dig in, whip out, try again
Mina the Hollower is a gothic action-adventure by Yacht Club Games, the studio behind Shovel Knight. After a delay from its planned October 31, 2025 date, it came out on May 29, 2026. You play Mina, a mouse inventor who can burrow under the ground, in a world drawn in a retro Game Boy Color style.
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How it plays
Mina the Hollower looks like a classic handheld game but moves like a modern action game. You explore Tenebrous Isle in a three-quarter view from above, fight monsters with a whip, daggers or a hammer, and spend bones on upgrades.
Burrowing is the core idea. Mina can dive under the soil, where she cannot be hit, to dodge attacks, cross ground and pop up next to enemies. Learning when to dig and when to strike is most of the combat. Fights are tough and deliberate. Mashing buttons gets you killed, and learning each enemy is the real progress.
Reviews were excellent. It scored around 90 on Metacritic, with 10 out of 10 from IGN and Eurogamer, and critics praised the combat, the world and the burrowing. Some reviewers found it exhausting and said the difficulty can spike.
Where to play it
It is on PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, at $19.99. It is not on phones.
Top-down adventures on Roam
These are separate Roam games with the same top-down, sword-and-lantern feeling. They are not Mina the Hollower.
- PIXELVALE. A top-down action RPG: take the quest, clear the meadow, and play with friends.
- Shadows Lie. Carry the lantern and light the shrines in a top-down action adventure. Closest to Mina's gothic mood.
Play it on Roam
More on Roam
Make your own top-down action-adventure with Roam
Roam is a free iPhone app: describe a game and it comes back playable. Pick your hero, their one special move and the boss, then change it by talking. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.
Try: "top-down gothic adventure, a mole knight who digs under enemies, a haunted graveyard island, a giant bat boss in the bell tower"Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.
Questions people ask
When did Mina the Hollower come out?
On May 29, 2026. It had been planned for October 31, 2025 and was delayed.
Who made Mina the Hollower?
Yacht Club Games, the studio behind Shovel Knight.
Is Mina the Hollower hard?
It is a demanding action game. Fights reward careful timing, and some reviewers said the difficulty can spike.
Sources, checked November 3, 2026
- Released May 29, 2026 at $19.99 on PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series: rpgsite.net
- Yacht Club Games; delayed from Oct 31, 2025; mouse inventor, burrowing, whip/daggers/hammer, Game Boy Color look, Tenebrous Isle: en.wikipedia.org
- Metacritic ~90, IGN 10/10, Eurogamer 10/10: en.wikipedia.org
- Delayed from October 2025 to an unannounced date: gematsu.com
- Critic reviews and criticisms (difficulty spikes): opencritic.com