A Short Hike, a cute adventure game made by one-man developer Adam Robinson-Yu, is being released today on Nintendo Switch as a timed console exclusive. The news comes from today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase stream. Before landing on Switch the game was first released on Windows PC, macOS, and Linux via Steam and itch.io back on July 30th, 2019.
In this retro 3d-styled title, you play as Claire, an adventurous little blackbird on a vacation who has decided to explore the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park out of boredom. Hike, swim, soar through the vast wilderness at your own pace, either by following marked roads or through the unbeaten paths, until you reach the summit.
Along the way, you will unlock several new simple skills and items such as a bucket, shovel, and pickaxe to give more variety to your adventure. You will also meet other friendly hikers with straightforward yet pretty colorful characterizations for every single one. Accompanied by soothing soundtracks from Mark Sparling, known for his works in indie darling Shantae and The Seven Sirens, A Short Hike is the perfect “comfy” game to relax to after a stressful day.
Sounds like a suitable release for the Nintendo Switch, don’t you think? You don’t have to sit all night in front of your PC or the living room, just simply fire up your Switch on the bed. That’s one nice mental image. It doesn’t take too long to finish the game as well. Despite that, the freedom of exploration and its unique low-poly deformed style will keep you coming back for more. Almost similar to older Animal Crossing games if I say so myself. Thinking about getting it? Have some thoughts from playing the PC version? Tell us what you think of A Short Hike in the comments below.