A 93 on Metacritic: Mina the Hollower Is 2026's Best

"Mina's release is make-or-break for sure." That was Yacht Club Games co-founder Sean Velasco talking last year about the studio's future, and today the "make" side of that equation is looking very strong. Mina the Hollower currently sits at a 93 Metascore based on 38 critic reviews, making it the best-reviewed game of the year by a comfortable margin.

That number puts it two points clear of Forza Horizon 6 at 91, and well ahead of Pokemon Pokopia (89), Resident Evil Requiem (89), Mewgenics (88), 007 First Light (88), and Saros (87). For a Kickstarter-funded indie from a studio that openly admitted it needed this game to land, that's a hell of a statement. I've been saying for years that indie studios consistently take bigger creative swings than AAA publishers, and Mina the Hollower is one of the strongest pieces of evidence I've seen in a while.

The praise from critics has been remarkably consistent. IGN gave it a 10/10, writing that "its blocky exterior disguises rich combat systems, some of the best puzzle solving ever put to screen, and a funny, deeply weird world I loved to explore." GameSpot's 9/10 review argued it "surpasses the boundaries of mere homage or retro throwback to become something new, fresh, inventive, and exciting." Game Informer landed on an 8.75, calling it a game that "looks like a nostalgic throwback" but "plays and feels like a contemporary video game, one that has taken the right lessons from the medium's history."

Where Shovel Knight Left Off

Yacht Club built its name on Shovel Knight back in 2014, a game that proved retro aesthetics could carry modern design ambitions. But as the studio expanded that franchise across multiple campaigns and spin-offs, the audience shrank. The quality never dropped, but the reach did. Mina the Hollower represents Yacht Club's attempt to break out of that cycle with something new: a top-down action adventure that draws from Game Boy-era Zelda, Castlevania, and FromSoftware RPGs all at once.

What's interesting about the review spread is how critics keep circling back to the same point. This isn't just a retro pastiche. RPG Site and Shacknews both highlighted the density of its world design, and multiple outlets compared its interlocking secrets and cause-and-effect structure more to Elden Ring than Link's Awakening. The game also ships with extensive accessibility options, letting players toggle invulnerability, disable fall damage, and adjust enemy health, which means the Souls-like difficulty that might scare off Zelda fans doesn't have to be a barrier.

Not every review was glowing. Giant Bomb gave it a 3.5/5, citing frustrations with early-game enemy health pools and a reliance on grinding that felt unusual for a Zelda-style game. Game Informer's otherwise positive review flagged that Mina's signature burrowing mechanic takes time to master and remained occasionally annoying even through the final boss.

Strong reviews don't automatically translate to strong sales, and Velasco's "make-or-break" comment hangs over this launch. Mina the Hollower releases on May 29 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. If the Metacritic number moves the needle the way it should, Yacht Club won't just survive; it'll have proven that a small team with the right ideas can outclass the entire AAA calendar in a single week.