A Short Hike Review — A Small Adventure With a Lot of Heart

When you look past the massively popular games and dive deeper into the cozy niche, A Short Hike is mentioned in practically every recommended list. I kept it in my library for years before I finally decided to play it, not because I didn’t want to earlier, but because I was prioritizing others. I never realized until after I finished it, that cozy games had become their own subgenre, and that this game was one of its main staples. I can now clearly see why, though.

This game puts you in the shoes (or rather, feet) of a bird named Claire, who goes on a vacation trip with her aunt May. Because of her blue color, Claire reminds me a lot of Piplup, one of my favorite Pokémon, which immediately makes me find her design super cute.

Claire and May’s destination is an island that their family has gone to several times, which has a lot to offer. It has a beach where people can relax and build sand castles, but there are also camping areas, fishing spots, and a mountainous zone for the most adventurous.

The main objective gets established very quickly: Claire wants to reach the top of the mountain, which takes, truly, just a short hike. This will be her first time achieving that feat, but she won’t be able to get there right away. Because of her limited stamina in the beginning, it’s not possible for her to climb up all the way yet. She would get tired quickly and slide back down to the bottom.

Because it’s an open world, albeit a little small, you’re free to go anywhere you want, and interact with any and all side characters in no particular order. The NPCs are different kinds of animals, talking and behaving like humans would, much like in childhood fables. You can talk to all of them, befriend them and learn about their interests. Many of them will ask you for favors, some of which will be rewarded with golden feathers, or other useful items that will help with your progress. Other rewards may include cute aesthetic add-ons.

To climb higher, you’re going to need golden feathers. These are obtained in different ways, such as buying them from other characters, earning them through side quests, or simply spotting them while exploring the island. Here’s where the adventure truly takes place, because it’s through the journey of accumulating feathers that you get to discover how wonderful the game really is.

One of the optional activities I enjoyed the most was getting to play Beachstickball. It’s a kind of beach volleyball but with a twist, that you can guess based on its name alone. I thought it was really fun, honestly, and I’d actually love to try it in real life. I’d also suggest not to miss out on the dialogue and quests with the white rabbit, who, among others, is getting ready for a marathon later on that same day.

There are more feathers in the game than you actually need to reach the top, so don’t worry too much about finding every single one, unless you’re aiming for the achievement. The vibe is truly relaxing and stress-free, the epitome of what a proper vacation should feel like.

Among the many cool NPCs, you may want to look for the one who’s fishing. He can give you a rod and show you how to fish. There’s also a ship and its captain not too far from where Aunt May is, if you go towards East. He’ll give you a journal so you can keep track of all the fish you catch, and he’ll also buy them from you, which gets you more money to buy golden feathers. Fishing is pretty easy but you’ll have to move around the island if you want to complete the journal, because not all fish appear on the same spots.

The options menu offers a type of variety in visual style that I’d never seen before. A Short Hike is entirely made in pixel art, and while some games may have color filters, this one lets you adjust the pixel size. The smallest size makes it look so smooth that it’s practically impossible to notice the individual pixels, while the biggest size makes it so ridiculously chunky that it almost feels like a myopia simulation. It’s still fully playable though and it looks cute either way, but I’m pretty sure most players go for the smoothest options, like I did.

If there’s one thing I wasn’t really happy about, it’s that this game urgently needs a map. All you get is a compass, so you may have a slight idea of where you are, but then you have to rely on your visual memory to remember where to find a specific area or character. Sure, the island is not too big, but for a game you can complete in a single day, I spent a huge amount of time getting lost, trying to find places I had already visited. It got frustrating at times, and it did take away a bit from an otherwise very good experience.

While the game doesn’t offer much in terms of story, the dialogues have a lot of heart, making it a very wholesome experience when you get to talk and interact with everyone. Once Claire reaches the top of the mountain, her main objective is complete, and the player gets rewarded with a very satisfying sequence, mixing beautiful visuals and music. However, you’ll still be able to continue playing if that’s what you want. The credits don’t start rolling until you decide that you’re ready, so don’t worry about finishing the hike before some other side quests you left unfinished.

As adorable as it is, and being one of the most popular games among cozy gamers, A Short Hike is easy to recommend. Short and sweet, it’s a lovely feel-good adventure that everyone can enjoy.