Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 91 | 200 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 85 | 218 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 80 | 1372 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 26, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 1372 total reviews in window · weighted 231.3 up / 27.7 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (150)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 85
“Mina the Hollower is a genuine success, a retro game that doesn’t pander to retro nostalgia.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Overall, Mina the Hollower is a well-designed, retro-inspired game. It demonstrates that Yacht Club Games is about more than just Shovel Knight. It looks more like Zelda than it actually plays, making it a tough outing. Plus, there's no map (by default). However, the exploration, lore, graphics, and soundtrack make this a fun journey nonetheless. It'll be interesting to see what's next for the team, though I imagine that's a long way off.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An almost perfect retro adventure with a compelling story, cute characters, and incredibly captivating gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Mina the Hollower is the perfect example of a game with a retro look but modern feel. With fluid combat and snappy controls making for an enjoyable and inventive combat loop, this game became a favorite.. Trying to learn each puzzle and find every secret this great game had for me was well worth my time.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Mina the Hollower is one of those titles that warms the heart, especially for showing that, in such a crazy and unpredictable industry, there are still people working to deliver an experience crafted with so much love and care.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In this lineage, Mina the Hollower, in all its textured detail and ambitious expansiveness, counts as a new high-water mark.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Mina the Hollower is not an homage or a nostalgia exercise, it's an original work that uses its inspirations as raw material for something genuinely new. Every hour on Tenebrous Isle adds another layer of understanding. Finishing it doesn't mean you've exhausted it. For fans of soulslike and action-adventure games, it's an essential purchase.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mina the Hollower is a brilliant example of modern retro design, combining exceptional exploration, satisfying combat, and a wonderfully strange gothic world into one of the year's most memorable adventures.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Yacht Club Games has successfully made the leap from Mario-inspired side-on platforming to Zelda-style adventure, delivering another retro-styled masterpiece. Mina the Hollower is an intricate, challenging yet accessible adventure packed with content, set against a gorgeous 8-bit gothic backdrop.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Mina the Hollower is one of those rare games that I didn’t expect much and ended up falling in love with. It’s funny, charming, challenging and incredible to play. It is Yacht Club’s masterpiece and by far one of the best games I played in 2026.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“There is a timeless feel to this game, with its homage to games from yesteryear, while also pushing the boundaries of what retro enthusiasts expect from titles that look like this.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mina the Hollower is the whole Game Boy Color experience, perfected, modernized, and elevated.”
read full review ↗
GameHope.com
Pure Nintendo
3DNews
The Gamerheads Podcast 
GameFM
Slant Magazine
Videogiocare.it
Jump Dash Roll
Nintendo Life
Hu3br
RPGamer
Seasoned Gaming…and 138 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Version 1.0.6 [r148805]Jul 12, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148751]Jul 7, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148716]Jul 3, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148709]Jul 2, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [148662]Jun 26, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148641]Jun 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.6 [r148472]Jun 19, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148460]Jun 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.6 [r148372]Jun 13, 2026
- Version 1.0.6 [r148361]Jun 12, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.6 [r148299]Jun 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.6 [r148213]Jun 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.5 [r148188]Jun 4, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.5 [r148122]Jun 3, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.5 [r148080]Jun 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.5 [r148053]Jun 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.0.5 [r147980]May 31, 2026
- Version 1.0.5 [r147946]May 30, 2026