Game Review – A Short Hike

anoted gif of the protagonist fishing next to a dock

I am not a completionist. 


I don’t generally want to beat games at 100%. I get close, and then I get bored with the standard kind of repeatable activities that pad out games to make them have that oh so coveted “X number of hours” metrics. Some people love that, I just … can’t.


I want to find out everything that happens in
A Short Hike.


The story behind it is that you’re on a camping trip with your Aunt at Hawk’s Peak provincial park. You’re kind of out of sorts, because you’re waiting for a call and your Aunt tells you that you could make the climb up to the top and you might get cell reception there because otherwise you’re not getting any calls coming into this park. She says it’s a short hike, and your family has done it for years.

 

And you leave to go on a short hike.
 

But it’s just so beautiful. Everything in the game is fun, and peaceful and entertaining. When you start walking you just get to talk to people and even the “this is how you play the game dialogue” is a delight to read. I kept feeling slightly disappointed when the dialogue repeated itself, only because I knew that this conversation was over for now.

 

You don’t have to race to the top either, every time I had an opportunity to go up I found another path that led me around the mountain and I wanted to take it. I wanted to see what was everywhere on this beautiful little mountain island. When the game says you can take it at your own speed, you really can. You can just explore every bit of the island, run a race or two, fly around the mountain, or just sit next to the water and fish and enjoy the beautiful scenery. 

 

Eventually I did finally race to the top, and teared up at the phone call. It’s just such a touching moment that I couldn’t help but sniffle through it.

 

This is a lovely game, and if you got it in the bundle you’re in for a treat. If you didn’t pick that up, you should for sure buy this game as quickly as you can.


After it’s just a short hike to the top of Hawk’s Peak.

A Short Hike

 

Creator, Programmer, Artist, Publisher – Adam Robinson-Yu

Music – Mark Sparling

Art and Writing – Dawn Blair

Art – Andrew Wong

Buy it at itch.io or on Steam

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